The Malefor Chronicles
by NewLegend1
Summary: Following his defeat to Spyro only months earlier at the Final Solution, Malefor awakens to find himself a young dragon once more. Without any memories, Malefor must cope with his actions and find a role for himself in this new world as well as unlock the key to a sinister plot already in action. Rated M for Violence and possible sexual acts. Sequel to The Spyro Chronicles ANL.
1. That Familiar Feeling

Author's Note: Hey guys, NewLegend here. This is a sequel to my other story The Spyro Chronicles. Here's a link to it if you haven't read it, you may want to since it's a little important *derp*

Though, it's pretty long so if you're feeling lazy (I know I do sometimes) how about a primer?

Following the defeat of the Dark Master at the end of DotD Spyro and Cynder make their way back to Warfang and ally themselves with a mysterious group of humans who have fled from their home, being chased by an alien race called Lakadors. These humans are space faring, and are part of the military branch of this "UER". The year for them is 2204, and they are at war. Here however they're subject to the same things Spyro is: a new world. Some of the Dark Master's old minions revive him and he sets out on a new quest to secure an ancient super weapon- the Final Solution. This super weapon can plunge the world into darkness, or save it. It's power was so great, however, that it was sealed away, never to be used again. It is revealed by some new mysterious figures who had interacted with the weapon before that the purple dragons are it's guardians, and the Great Cleansing that took place in DotD were actually meant to hide the weapon, that is to say, split open the crust of the world and send it back into the planet's core so it would never be revealed. By stopping the Great Cleansing, Spyro's stopped this process and must now stop the Dark Master from awakening it with the help of his newfound allies. Following months of battle, Spyro and his allies beat the Dark Master, but just barely. They seal the weapon away and it drifts back towards the planet's core, the Dark Master sealed within. However, a mysterious dragon appears within the Final Solution's inner core, and takes the crystal encasing Malefor and brings it to the Silver River in the realms. The crystal fades away, revealing a much younger Malefor. The dragon, content with the results lets Malefor drift away in the river, having plans for this young one, plans that were to be set in motion.

He just has to remember.

This story is rated M for unavoidable violence and some graphic scenes. I am pondering over the inclusion of sexual scenes but that's still up in the air. The previous story had been rated T, though only because I had barely any blood in it, even if it seems more M then T. This story contains SpyroxCynder, Maleforx?, and a few other couples. I plan to have 20 chapters in this story and consider it a sub-plot within my main trilogy, the first of which is The Spyro Chronicles: A New Legacy (SE).

UPDATE: Sorry about the format issues, I am having trouble with FF atm, still learning how to get stuff to appear correctly.

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* * *

"What do you mean? I can really have all that power?"

"Yes, and more, young one. There is true potential in you… this I can see."

"But, what will I become? I made a promise, to only protect."

"Do not worry young one. This power will give you the ability to save all of them, to be able to stop the pain and suffering of millions…"

"I still don't know…"

"I know you… you know loss. With this, you shall know how to achieve the eternal… and stop the loss… You won't fail anyone ever again…"

"You… you really think so…? Do you think I could really…?"

"I know you can. I believe in you."

"Then… then I guess I'm ready."

I have watched, and I have listened.

I have seen the pure become corrupted, the good become evil.

I have seen those who swore an oath to protect the innocent send armies to slaughter those they swore to protect.

I have seen the great fall, but I have seen them get back up.

I have seen the great come through, regardless of their past.

I have seen them do extraordinary things.

I have seen what can happen, when you allow one to atone for his sins.

I know that it can be done.

My only hope is that it can be done, once again.

For the sins of one, have yet to be atoned for…

They just have to remember.

/NewLegend1 Presents…/

**The Malefor Chronicles**

Chapter 01: That Familiar Feeling

Dragon Realms, Uncharted Systems

September 23, 2204 [UER Military Calendar]

11:12 AM [Local Time] (1112 Hr MLTY)

Silver River, Southern Banks

* * *

A soft breeze, that's all he could feel.

Oh yes, that's all. Well, there was the sunlight too, and the warm feeling of water softly pressing against his scales but for sure, the breeze was the one to stand out.

It felt just like before.

Wait, before? When was that exactly?

He wasn't sure.

Though, there was a before, and it felt like this.

Before was... just when was before? A few moments ago, a few minutes, years even? He couldn't shake this question now. It was just... aching. It was eating at him like a cancer, he had to answer it.

But when was it?

Wait, had he just forgotten his name?

Who was he?

He couldn't remember...

He felt his body press against something, his eyes shooting open at the sudden movement.

He took in a sharp breath, seeing the sky above him, staring back down at him. Large towering mushrooms acted as a canopy as they shielded him and the ground from the sky and its massive expanse. Two birds roosted on a nearby mushroom took alarm to his sudden and sharp breath, flying off, a few feathers flying down in their wake.

The sudden movement caused him to slip and fall off the lily pad he had been occupying just moments earlier, throwing him into the crisp orange waters of the river he was apparently afloat in.

He slipped in deep, holding his breath as fish swam by him in the passage, he finally swooping up to the surface.

He broke the surface and drew in another sharp breath, using his legs to keep himself afloat longer. He took in his surroundings more now, seeing that the entire area was indeed a mushroom forest.

How familiar... but from where?

He was softly being nudged downstream, the crisp orange waters parting around his form as he continued to look around. He finally looked down at the water and saw himself, his face.

A young teenage face looked back at him. His face was adorned with three horns, two going outward while one went up. Two secondary horns stood before the single one going up, accenting it slightly. His muzzle was a little short, though not stubby.

He remembered his name now.

He was Malefor, a purple dragon of sorts. The purple dragon of destiny. That's what he had been told however... wait, told by who? Now that question was going to eat at him...

Though, there was another pressing matter that demanded his attention.

Where was he...?

How did he get here?

Not satisfied at the lack of an answer, he swam towards the banks, pulling himself out of the waters and onto dry land. He continued to pan his vision around. This place was so new to him, yet not at the same time. He had no idea where he was, but for some reason, he felt at home, at peace. He felt a certain familiarity in his surroundings, even if he couldn't exactly name it.

Malefor looked up, scanning the horizon. He saw that the canopy expanded for miles in each direction, at least from where he could see there was no difference in the environment. He did spot something that was of interest, however.

Up above, perched on a plateau that dominated the skyline was a large temple with a balcony that overlooked the entire landscape. The... temple? It could have been just a structure, though he knew it to be a temple. What kind of temple was it? It seemed to have great importance, but it... it just escaped him. He couldn't remember. Why couldn't he remember? He knew there was something important about it and something important about him, but he couldn't remember!

He clenched his eyes in frustration, a paw going up to rub his head as he couldn't remember anything!

Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him, a sudden rustling of leaves indicating someone was nearby. He swung around rapidly, almost so that he fell over. He clumsily regained himself, the soft muddy soil throwing him off as the environment was obviously boggy in nature.

He looked intently at the source of the sound, slowly walking towards it. He heard another sound, to his left now. He spun around, seeing leaves and branches swaying in the wake of someone. Though, there wasn't anyone there, nobody he could see anyway.

His breath was quickening, his heart racing. Someone was watching him.

He took a few steps back from the wal of mushrooms, not sure what to do.

He needed shelter, he needed a place to rest for the night.

He looked up to the temple, the sunlight reflecting off of its stone surface.

He had to get there... For some reason some force was calling him there. There was somebody there he had to meet, and it was of the upmost importance that he did so.

With a soft breath, he slowly moved into the growth that had surrounded the river on all sides. If he stayed off the beaten path, whatever force was following him he could manage to loose.

He walked for a few minutes, moving quickly over the uneven ground. Vines and small grasses covered he ground, which itself was slippery and wet. He finally found an elevated area where the ground was dry and easier to navigate. The mushrooms also seemed to be getting bigger, the farther he went. He hadn't seen many local wildlife aside from the occasional birds. He swore he saw a large spider a while back but he didn't really stop to verify it.

He hadn't found anything intelligent he should say. Nobody who could tell him where he was, what was going on. With a heavy sigh, he continued to walk down the footpath, stepping over another vine that had occupied the small dirt path he was navigating. The entire time he could still see that temple, perched up on the plateau above him. It seemed the only way to access it was climbing up the plateau from the back. It would be a long walk to get back there... Well, unless he wanted to barge in the front door by flying up there. Something told him that wasn't the best of ideas right now. Exactly why he suspected that, he wasn't sure either.

He reached the end of the path, it leading to a small ledge that overlooked a small gulley with a few mushrooms that protruded out from the ground. He turned, seeing a small cave that sat imbedded in the rocks, a canopy shielding it from the sun. He could see a few clouds rolling in from the north, a storm. He had to find shelter soon, guess this would serve well.

He walked inside, looking around the dimly lit space. The cave only went back so far, with a visible chamber beyond the entryway. The chamber from where he was looked to be only small, and seemed to have a pond inside of it.

He walked over, confirming the presence of the pond. It was small, but added to the scenery as the water slowly trickled over the rocks within the cavern. It seemed rather... peaceful...

He walked around the room, making sure there weren't any passageways that went further on. He'd hate to take up residence here, only to find something else living deeper in.

He walked back to the entrance and sat down, looking out of the cave. From where he sat, he could see the temple in the distance, the black clouds slowly coming to consume it and drape the structure with its dark hue. It wasn't long before the cloud threatened the area above him as well.

It was interesting to watch clouds move, it was rather soothing. It reminded him of... a time long ago. He sighed, rubbing his head. He still couldn't remember much... Well, he didn't remember anything at all. Just... bits and pieces. Why is that though? Why couldn't he remember anything? He knew there was some significance with the temple up there and he needed to see it.

It wasn't so much something as it was... someone. Someone he had to see. Regardless, he couldn't move while that rainstorm passed through. The clouds had moved fast, already starting to cover the sun who appeared to be nearing its noon position. It looked like a bad storm, maybe a prelude to a bigger storm passing through the area. It was getting late in the seasons and approaching winter.

Once it hit winter... well, it would get bad. Or would it? There he went again... Oh well.

It wasn't long before the rain started to fall.

He watched the water trickle from the roof of the cave and onto the floor. It would be a while before he could move again...

He got up and walked around, searching the cave for anything of interest. There wasn't much, though he found something interesting in the rear chamber with the pond. Near the pond, there were a few pieces of wood on the floor, all burned and most of them ashes now. Nearby there were a few pieces of cloths, suggesting there had been someone camping in here prior to him arriving.

Looking around, he found a few nicks, an arrowhead, a small crudely made necklace and upon even more searching, he found a piece of parchment with writing on it.

He picked up the parchment, opening it up. The writing was in definite dragon script, scratched on by very light ink but it seemed to be part of a bigger journal.

"Today we found this cave, mother started a fire and father hunted a fresh kill for us to eat. We have come from the north, from just south of Artisan's. We heard Spyro had finally defeated the Dark Master and it was safe to come out again. We're bound for Warfang which we hear is under the protection of Spyro himself at the great Dragon Temple. I hope that we..."

The ink was too smudged below to continue onwards.

Spyro... that name...

It was familiar.

Who was he? He seemed very important if he defeated this... Dark Master.

Warfang? The Dragon Temple? All these names, they were so familiar but he couldn't remember!

He looked back towards the entrance, seeing the plateau the temple sat on just beyond. This Spyro... was that the Dragon Temple out there? This Spyro, he seemed to be a very important individual. Perhaps he could go there, meet him. Yes! Maybe he could tell him just who he was!

Yes, he would definitely go to the temple. Now he had a purpose.

He smiled a bit, the feeling seeming a bit strange to him.

He laid down, relaxing a bit on the cloth that sat by the puddle. That had been a long walk, he felt a little tired, perhaps he would lay down for a little nap...

Yes, he would do that.

With that, he closed his eyes and slipped into a state of fleeting sleep.

* * *

"There was once a dragon long ago... whose raw power was far greater than anyone had ever seen or... could imagine. At first he mastered fire... which was odd, because he was not a fire dragon. Then came ice, wind, and other abilities none thought possible... Is this story sounding familiar?"

"It was a purple dragon, like me..."

"The first purple dragon."

Chronicler to Spyro, September 22, 2201

* * *

"Master Aerulius, can I have a moment of your time?"

"Yes old friend, what is it?" The golden dragon, Aerulius, said to an approaching earth dragon. The large green dragon was adorned in armor, lumbering softly as he looked around before turning his attention back to Aerulius himself.

"There has been talk, amongst the others of the..."

"The purple one?"

"Yes... Is there something troubling you old friend?"

"We've read the legends, the records left to us. We, all of us, are deeply troubled by the coming of the purple dragon. In all the records there is never mention of one arriving. It's as if all the records were destroyed. Why?"

"I'm not quite sure... But this is a huge. From all we can tell, this dragon is to be the vanguard of the next age..."

"I fear it won't be a good age for our people. I fear dark times are coming."

"Thaklor, old friend, you worry too much about this dragon. When he arrives at the capitol, we need to welcome him in with open arms. We shall embark on a new age for all dragon kind..."

"I wish I could share your optimism..."

"Master, scouts have spotted Silus, he has the purple one in tow!" A new voice shouted down the hallway, coming from another Guardian, an electric dragon.

Aerulius turned to the earth guardian, Thaklor who looked back with a solemn look before walking to the door to greet their new arrival. He took in a deep sigh. He shared his friend's misfortunes, all his worries and fears. It did appear that a great deal of records concerning the purple dragon had been erased, purposely. The only record they did have was an old scroll recovered from a library that burned to the ground nearly 4,000 years ago. It had even been rumored that the librarian himself set the fire. Regardless, he would not stand back and let his kind decline, now at the time of their pinnacle. They would be on the right side of history...

* * *

April 29, 1965

10:12 PM GMT [Local Time] (1012 Hr MLTY)

Temple of Our Ancestors, Dragon City of Arcantheus

Sbjt: Malefor Age: 13 3 Years Before Anomoly

"This way young dragon, there is little time."

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to meet a few individuals who have taken a great interest in you..."

Malefor flew close to the larger dragon, following his every move. Wind blew against him as they came in low, approaching a city. They passed over the city's walls, the larger dragon nodding to a guard who lined the wall, getting a nod in return, indicating that they were cleared to enter.

Malefor knew the dragon as Silus, and had met him only a few months ago. He had trained Malefor for a bit, following his... incident. He had trained for the past few months, learning a few combat moves. Silus told him he needed to be in good shape for what lay ahead for Malefor. It wasn't until last week that Silus informed Malefor he was taking him to the ancient Dragon City of Arcantheus, the dragon capitol.

Now they were flying over its walls, and Silus said he was taking Malefor to meet some very "important" dragons. Who they were, he didn't know yet...

They banked over streets filled with hundreds of different creatures ranging from dragons to other various anthro species. Mushrooms and different trees dotted the landscape as the ancient stone towers rose above the landscape. They flew towards a large balcony that went to a larger structure just beyond, easily the largest structure in the entire city. It wasn't so much tall as it was wide. The large cylindrical structure sat near the center of the city and had several domes and spires that went up, into the sky.

Silus landed first, flapping his wings and coming to a halt near the edge of the balcony. Malefor landed next to the larger adult dragon, grunting as it was a little harder for him to land then Silus. He hadn't spent much time practicing flying...

As Malefor landed, he could see some figures further on, sitting in the center of a circular courtyard that was lined with different pillars and arches for decoration. This courtyard was opened up, open to the entire landscape as the arches and pillars served as a form of railing. By now, Malefor could make the figures out to be dragons, and there were many of them. They all looked older and powerful... each wearing some form of armor or clothing that signified status. He was meeting some very important dragons indeed...

"I see you found your way back to us Silus, and you brought the young one with you as well..." One of the dragons, a one with bright golden scales said in an older, yet strong and wise voice. You could hear the age in his voice, but you could tell that you didn't want to underestimate him for he still had a sense of will and power in his voice. He also spoke in a deliberate manner, one that carried the sense of a seasoned warrior, one who took deliberate but confident steps and motions.

"I brought him as you asked. I have trained him in the ways of combat, but there is still much I have yet to teach him." Silus said, bowing to the group of dragons. The golden dragon nodded, looking towards Malefor.

"Tell us young one, what is your name?" He asked. Malefor grunted, gulping slightly.

"Malefor, sir." He said, saying it softly at first but gaining confidence as he went on.

"Don't be shy young one, step forward." Another dragon said, standing to the right of the golden dragon. Malefor looked at the dragon, he looked to be the second most important dragon in the group, second only to the golden one who was obviously in charge. The dragon had white scales, wore two golden plates on his forearms with a small cape coming from each.

On top of the dragon's head there were four horns that came out, going in each direction. On the end of his chin, a long beard came down, going almost down to his chest and ending in a small golden ornemant. He examined Malefor carefully, looking him over from head to toe.

Taking in a deep breath, he stepped forward. He walked until he was in the middle of the crowd of dragons, looking at each of them as Silus remained at the entrance, watching ever carefully.

"So, young Malefor, do you know why we called you here? Why we brought you to the ancient capital of the dragons?" One of the other dragons asked, an earth dragon. His demeanor suggested a military commander, and even more than that.

"I uh... Silus told me I'm very important..." Malefor responded. He actually didn't really know why he was here. Silus had told him several times he was important, but just HOW important he never really said.

The lead golden dragon chuckled.

"No need to be nervous young one. This is no test. We brought you here because of your scale color."

"My scales? Because I'm purple?"

"Yes. You see, you are the only purple dragon to have ever been born in the dragon realms."

"I... I am?"

"Yes young one. In all the time of recorded history of our kingdom, we have only heard of legends talking about purple dragons. Now, one stands before us in the capitol of the dragons... Do you know what that means?"

"No sir, I don't..."

"It means that something big is about to happen, something great. And you, young one, are to usher it in. Whatever happens, you are the vanguard of the next age young one."

Malefor paused. Vanguard of the next age? He had no idea... This was... well, huge! He didn't really know why he was special though... they were just purple scales...

It took a few moments before he realized that he was sitting silent in the middle of the dragons. He grunted, trying to think of something to say.

The golden dragon chuckled.

"It's alright young dragon, I know that's a very big revelation to swallow, especially after the trip you've endured to get here. Come inside, rest a while. There is much to do if we are to prepare you for your role."

"Prepare me? How?"

"Train you. We are the Guardians, masters of all the different elements. We will show you our secrets until we can figure out just what powers you hold."

Malefor stood for a second before taking in a deep breath and nodding. He... he could do this, he hoped. He'd try at least. Yes... he would try. Looking forward, he started off towrads the golden dragon as he walked to the other side of the courtyard where a large door sat. The door lead into the large structure and Malefor could see glimpses of its interior from where he stood. Following the other dragons, he slipped inside as the doors closed behind him.

MEMORY SYNC COMPLT

Reconnecting to Stream…

Done.

Malefor awoke with a start, his head shooting up. The cave around him was silent, dark even. Outside he could still hear rain but it looked as if the sun had set already. How long had he been asleep...?

Wait, he remembered!

The Guardians!

He... remembered from the dream... he had met them... some time ago. He couldn't remember when exactly. A... few years ago perhaps? Perhaps... Though...

He looked up, seeing the temple illuminated in the black clouds as rain fell all around it.

That temple... The Dragon Temple, where Spyro was. The Guardians were there, he was sure of it. The Guardians, they could tell him more about himself... they had already done it before...

Aerulius... he could tell Malefor more about his past... He knew that for a fact. He took in a deep breath. Alright, he was making progress... now he just had to wait for this rainstorm to blow over... When morning came, he would set out for that temple.

* * *

September 24, 2204

10:32AM [Local Time] [1032 Hr MLTY]

Mushroom Forest

Malefor leapt over a vine that blocked his path, almost slipping on the moist ground as he landed on the other side. He cursed... this mud was not going to make it easy, especially since it was a swamp he was trying to navigate in the first place. Sighing, he pushed on. Thankfully when the sun rose, the rain had stopped and it was clear enough to start moving.

Since then, he had covered a lot of ground. He had reached the summit of the plateau about an hour ago but found to his dismay there was no way to climb it. He had tried to refute his earlier caution and fly to the top of the summit but he found that his wings were way to weak to even think about flying. Just where had he been before waking up in the river...? He noticed his muscles were tense too, probably a result of the same thing.

Regardless he had walked along the edge of the rocks, trying to find a safe path up. Sadly, it looked like he had to go all the way around. There was no way he'd spend a whole day doing this though... his goal was just above! No, he had to find another way.

He continued to walk for another hour, seeing little in a way of a path up. Grunting, he stopped for a minute, looking around for something to eat. There were some bushes around, growing up from the swampy ground. They bore berries, each full and red in color. He sighed, walking over and picking a few. He really did not like the idea of putting his faith in a few mysterious swamp berries. Nevertheless, if he didn't find food before the end of the day, these, would have to do.

Continuing on he was finally rewarded with a slope that seemed to go up, following the rocks. Excitedly, he followed the path, jogging up the path. The path went up, almost seeming to meet up with the downhill slope the plateau seemed to be taking. Yes! Finally, some progress.

However, as he went further, he found it might be a while before the paths truly met up. Looking up, he saw that the rocks looked climbable. Grunting he gripped onto a group of vines that lined the rocks with his claws. He drew himself up, surprising himself he knew how to do this as he effortlessly rose towards the ledge above. Why didn't he try this sooner?! This was much faster!

It only took a minute to reach the ledge. He pulled himself up, looking over and seeing the temple just beyond. There was still a large patch of forest that stood between him and the temple. Well, at least now he was three hours ahead of what he would have been if he followed the path in its entirety.

It wasn't long before he reached a large stone door with statues lining the wall. Was this the entrance to the temple? No... he was still way too far out. Perhaps a side structure? Probably... He pressed a paw on the door, it slowly opening to his touch. The door looked ancient... and hadn't been used in a few years. Peering inside he saw a few passageways. The corridors were huge, easily fitting a large adult dragon. A few collapsed pillars and support beams lay scattered around the floor, as well as some skeletons, shields, swords and various weapons. Had there been a battle here?

He continued on, side stepping a rather large hole in the floor that seemed to go on forever... Oh yeah, there had been a fight here. Leaping over the hole, he reached the other end where a second door awaited. The door lead back outside, where it looked like there might have been some more structure further on but nature had long since collapsed the structures. Now, mushrooms and overgrowth covered the stone and masonry.

Further on he found several of these structures, all telling a similar story. All of them sat surrounded in the vast mushroom overgrowth, abandoned to time. Why was this? If this dragon temple was so great, why had much of it been laid to decay? Had there, at one time, been more here? Well, that was obvious to him now, but had there been more, like people here, working or living? What had happened to this place?

Finally after much walking, he reached a ledge that sat near the actual temple. The ledge looked over the balcony he had seen before from the forest below. He could see... two figures, no, two dragons sitting on the balcony, talking to one another.

One was black, with white horns and a... red under belly? Yeah, it was red, he could see better now that the dragon had turned. The other... was purple! He was purple like him! It must be Spyro! Grunting, he tried to see a way to get over there. There was none... He was so close though!

The two dragons turned, walking into the temple without noticing him on the ledge. Letting out a soft sigh of defeat he continued to scan before realizing the only real way was to go back and look for another way or...

He turned to the temple next to him, seeing it was close enough to... glide to it? He flexed his wings, looking at them as they still ached a bit. It would have to do... It was only a few feet away, how could that hurt? With a soft grunt, he backed up a bit, looking to the temple. It was now or never...

He wished it was never.

He dashed forward and leapt, his body hanging over the expanse of forest below that seperated his small ledge from the main temple structure. He could see the structure getting closer and closer, the wind hitting against his wings. He was doing it! He was... oh wait, how was he going to land?!

With a loud grunt he hit the side of the wall, the wind being knocked out of him. He cringed, his entire body locked up. It wasn't long before he realized he was slowly slipping down the side of the wall.

He frantically started to scrape at the side of the wall, trying to find anything to grip on to. Crap, what was he thinking?!

Finally, his claws caught onto a few vines, halting his downward motion. He held onto those vines for dear life, finally opening his eyes to see the absolute drop beneath him. It took a few moments for him to calm himself enough to see that the vines ran all the way to the top of the structure. He could.. try to climb up there. Yeah... that would probably be his best course of action as opposed to plummeting to his death...

He gulped, reaching over to grab another vine beside him. He tugged at it, testing it. It held on tight. Good... one thing right. He reached over, gripping it with his other claw and pulling himself up. He repeated this over and over, slowly using his hind legs to brace his body against the wall. His head was spinning, so nervous that at any moment the vines could snap and send him to his demise... So far, so good... He reached the top, almost gasping as he couldn't believe it. He quickly leapt over the side of the wall, not giving the vines a chance to snap.

He skid on the roof, slowly shaking his head as he looked around. The roof was surprisingly beautiful. In the center, there was a dome with a hole right through the middle of the structure. It was built with blue panes and was connected to the main wall of the structure, which formed a ring to support the dome itself. The dome didn't have much height to it, only going up a few feet and not even being visible to someone standing below or even level with the temple structure. It was probably meant for viewing from within. Whatever was inside the structure, it was important, or at least meant to be enshrined.

Moving along the ring he could see movement below, and an enormous statue. THAT was what the dome was enshrining. The statue was of a large dragon, standing proudly. He couldn't tell more about it because the dome was obstructing most of his vision. Regardless, he could still see two forms walking towards the back of the structure, followed by a few more figures here and there. The two figures though, they were probably the two dragons! He had to follow them! He quickly moved along the edge of the ring, seeing that connected to this structure were several more similar ones, albeit they lacked the decorative roof dome. Most had plain roofs or domes that were much larger than the one he had just seen, meant for outside viewing and made out of stone, not of glass.

The structure connected to this one was smaller, and had several others attached to it. He could see some dirt and mushrooms had come to reside on top of this structure, almost hiding it from the outside. He leapt down, attempting another glide. His wings caught air and this time held him aloft. He gulped, opening his arms and legs for a safer landing this time. Thankfully, he managed to "somewhat" land. By somewhat, he tripped on his forearm as it hit the ground to hard, smashing his face into the rock and dirt.

With a low moan, he gripped his face as he slowly got up. What the hell was he thinking...? A sound caught his attention, causing him to let go of his face and look around. He could hear voices... below him! He pressed his head towards the ground, able to hear something definitely below him. He walked along the roof a bit, trying to see if there was a way down...

He could see a hole, going down below. It appeared as though years of nature had been unkind to this structure, the dirt and mushrooms slowly eating away at the roof and creating a hole in what appeared to be a multilayered roof. Below this one was a small space large enough for him to fit above the actual ceiling below. Cautiously, he fit himself into that space, slowly crawling through the dirt and vines as they had slowly eaten through the structure over the years. Coming to a stop he could see another hole going right through the ceiling itself and to the room below. He could see... two, no three, five dragons! Three were large, obviously adult and two were small, the two from before!

"Don't tell me you've been having your dreams again... you know what came of it last time..."

"No, no, no, nothing like that. I mean... I can just feel something. Something I'm supposed to..."

"Relax, we already beat all that remember? It's time to enjoy peace."

"I know, I just get the feeling that... something, is coming, don't know what yet."

He could see the purple one talking to the large green dragon below, the small black one coaching the purple one along, or trying to at least. Something was coming? Malefor wondered what that might be. He didn't have long to ponder over that, however. He felt a small vibration in the ceiling and wondered just how stable it...

Suddenly Malefor felt himself falling, and falling fast. The ceiling had given out! Frantically he tried to open his wings to slow the fall, something! Before he could even unravel his wings, he had already slammed hard into the ground, followed by several pieces of stone and dirt that followed, creating a plume that obscured the whole room.

"What in the name of?!"

"What's happening?!"

Malefor could hear voices all around him, but his ears were still ringing from the fall. It took a while for the dust to settle, but he could see every figure in the room standing over him, looking at him.

"It's a dragon...?"

"He looks a little..." The black dragon beside the purple one began to say, but Malefor couldn't hear her very well. His mind was just racing his entire body covered in dust, almost obscuring his scales.

"What in the world... who are you and what were you doing up there?" The large green dragon asked as he stood above him.

"I'm sorry! I was just trying to get here, I heard about the temple and I heard about you guys, and I thought that I could... meet you guys... to..."

"To what?" He asked again.

"A-ask you... about me..."

"About... you?"

"Y-yeah... you don't happen to know where Aerulius is... do you? I'm Malefor..."

At that moment, everyone's eyes started to frantically dart across the room, all except the black one. She finally finished her sentence, this time Malefor able to hear her.

"Purple." She said, this time with a bit of resentment in her tone.

End of Chapter 01

* * *

(1) New message(s)

Open?

Yes

Sbjt: About those reports

From: D

Hey J, I hope that passcode worked to get you into the systems. The director is very curious on what you find in there and would like all files forwarded to him at once. I've been getting some weird feedback on the terminals since I started pulling data, but I guess it's because there's so much of it. Tell me if you get any issues yourself. D out.

Reply?

Ye223kkkkskksks

[ERROR]

[SYSTEM INTEGRITY COMPRIMISED]

[CONTROL GRANTED TO OUTSIDE SOURCE]

/I Have Watched/

/And I Have Listened/

/Seen As My Sons and My Daughters Have Been Turned Into Instruments of War/

/Tools of Destruction/

/They Have Been Used Against Me/

/Used To Advance An Agenda For Darkness/

/It Is Time to Halt Their Advance/

/Will You Help Me?/

Why do you need my help? Who are you?

/You Are An Investigator, Seeking The Truth From Your Government, For Your Government/

Yes, I work for the UN Office of Intelligance, looking for signs of corruption in the Covert Intelligance branch.

/You Seek The Truth. There Is Truth And Lies Hidden Within Your Government/

/They Seek To Make The Innocent Into Weapons Of War Now/

/Those Who Have Not Ever Had A Chance Of Their Own/

/The Wings Of Darkness Seeks To Use Them Against All/

I don't think I understand. I'm already looking for corruption charges against the Director of the UNCI, why're you bringing this to me?

/Because You Are The Only One In Place Capable Of Stopping The Procress Before It Is Too Late/

/I Am Asking You To Uncover This Truth/

Where would I begin?

/Continue With The Report/

/Look Into Past Operations Related To My World/

/You Won't Have To Look Far/

Your World? Who Are You?

/SIERRA_ABSOLUTE/

[ERROR]

[CONNECTION LOST]

[CONTROL RETURNED TO USER]

Reply?

Yes

Sbjt: A New Lead

To: D

D. I just found a new lead to pursue. Give me everything related to this report and this world these operations are taking place on. This is big.

Send

Sent.

[CONNECTION CLOSE]

Like this story? Please review and let me know what you think or if you guys are happy with this story. Also, check out my gallery on DeviantART, where I post several pictures related to my stories, concepts and is updated to my latest chapters and announcements. Username NewLegend1


	2. Old Wounds Reopened

Part 1: A Past Long Forgotten

-[]-

Chapter 02: Old Wounds Reopened

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

September 24, 2204 [UER Military Calendar]

2:47 PM [Local Time] (1447 Hr MLTY)

Pool of Visions, Dragon Temple

* * *

The entire room stood silent, all attention on Malefor as the dust continued to settle all around him. Nobody dared move, nobody dared to speak.

"Um... I..." Malefor looked around at them all, having a look of confusion on his own face. Had he done something wrong? Had he misspoken? Man he hoped that roof wasn't sacred to these guys...

"I'm sorry about the roof, I didn't mean to break it!" Malefor finally said, trying to figure out why nobody would speak to him.

"You... you're Malefor..." The black dragoness finally said, Malefor turning to her.

"Y-yeah... that's right... i-is one of you Spyro?" This seemed to flip some switch in the black dragoness, making her grit her teeth and lash out at Malefor. Malefor leapt back, yelling as the entire group became animated, descending upon him.

"Cynder wait!" The purple one yelled, chasing the black dragoness as she took a swipe at Malefor, the impact sending him skidding across the floor.

"Why can't you just die, why can't you just stay away?! Why can't you stay out of everyone's lives!" The black one, presumably Cynder, kept yelling at him, swiping again as he got up, trying to get away. He managed to avoid her second swipe, flapping his wings to shoot himself to the back of the room.

"Spyro! Quickly, capture Malefor, make sure Cynder doesn't bring him harm!" Malefor could hear the green dragon say. He panicked, racing towards the door and bursting through it.

"Right Terrador!" The purple one, who he now thought was Spyro, yelled back to the green dragon. Malefor didn't waste a moment. He looked around, seeing that he was below the decorative dome that he had been atop only earlier. The statue stood before him, staring him down as it only added to his fear, hearing Cynder right behind him. He quickly raced off, brushing passed two heavily armored guards who had been standing along the statue, both quickly trying to get up and pursue Malefor.

"Don't let him get away! He's Malefor!" Cynder yelled to them. The two guards immediately sprang up, both leaping forward to capture Malefor. He avoided both of them, racing towards the main door across from the statue. It opened, revealing the open sky, sunlight bathing across his sore scales. He grunted, continuing on without even accounting for the fact this lead to a dead end.

He skid to a halt, only realizing this too late as the path lead to a balcony that went out over the mushroom forest down below, the same one he had seen the two dragons on only earlier.

Great, now what? He looked down, seeing the absolute plummet that awaited him. He would not survive that fall... and he still couldn't fly!

He heard the doors open behind him, seeing the two guards, both cheetah anthros, racing towards him. Behind them burst out the black dragoness- Cynder. Great, now what?! He would not survive against them either!

His mind raced with possibilities, plans, what to do, when to do it... he was so caught up in this that he didn't even realize that he had already leapt off the edge of the balcony and to the mushroom forest below. He yelled, seeing the ground slowly coming closer to him, flailing his arms around. He looked up, seeing Cynder leap off the balcony after him, soaring down to him as she used her wings to glide down at great speed.

Malefor panicked again, trying to bring out his wings to catch the wind. It was clumsy, hard... the wind was too strong to even effectively open his wings!

"Crap, crap, come on!" He yelled in frustration, he now tumbling helplessly as he tried to get his wings open. Finally, he managed to get them open, his speed immediately slowing down and sending a shockwave of momentum through his body. The force all went to his neck and wings, causing him to grunt in response. He managed to angle his wings, making him go downwards at a safer speed. He was doing it! He was gliding! Oh man this was amazing! He chuckled a bit, looking around triumphantly, not able to believe it himself.

His celebration was cut short as Cynder collided into his back, sending him towards the forest at a fast rate. He yelled out, Cynder roaring at him as she clawed at his back, spinning around to bring her claws down on his face and neck. He brought up his arms to block, feeling her talons sink into his scales and flesh, electing a cry from him.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you for all you've done!" She yelled at him.

"I don't understand! What did I do?!" He yelled back, still shielding his face with his paws. This only angered her more, she charging up and firing a burst of shadow energy which shot him off of her and into a mushroom below. He hit the mushroom with great force, bouncing off of it and rolling down to the ground. He groaned, almost whimpering as he tried to get up.

Cynder flapped her wings, landing just feet away from him. This caused Malefor to immediately get up and back into the mushroom, seeing her face that contained absolute hatred for him. He panted, gasping in absolute fear...

She opened her muzzle, charging up another blast of shadow energy, aiming it right at him. His eyes widened, his survival instincts kicking in.

She fired, he leaping out of the way to avoid, the blast hitting the mushroom and shearing it in half. He landed on his feet, taking off immediately into the swamps.

He went down the path, panting and grunting as he could hear and feel the blasts behind him, hitting mushrooms and collapsing them. He leapt side to side, trying to avoid her blasts of energy... going past as many mushrooms and vines as he could to loose her... He leapt down off of the path into a gully, trying to use large vines in the area to hide from her wrath.

She came to an abrupt stop above the gully, scanning the area below. He tried to sit within the shadows, half his body submerged in the muck, taking in silent and sharp breaths as time seemed to slow. She continued to scan the area before flapping her wings to take flight, hovering above the gully. She opened her muzzle and growled before firing a beam of energy at any spot she could see. He immediately shot back, clenching his eyes as he slowly drifted under the vines, backing into a rocky wall. Beams continued to hit all around, snapping the large mushrooms like twigs. One beam caught the mushroom directly above Malefor, collapsing the vines above him and forcing him to move. Cynder saw movement, firing another beam that sliced into the water, forcing Malefor to swim for his life from mushroom to mushroom, seeing a dirt path at the end of the gully that lead up and out.

He raced to the path, it seeming to take minutes, hours to get there when it was only a few feet away, Beams impacted all around, blasting muck all over his body. He leapt onto the path, racing up and out of the gully and back into the swamps. He could hear Cynder behind him, trying to keep up as she had to run on foot through the dense overgrowth. He panted, leaping forward and through a bush, only to find great surprise at the lack of ground beneath his feet beyond that bush.

He yelped in surprise, the ground beyond the bush being a slippery incline that went down into another small gully. He slid down the incline rapidly, unable to catch him self before he slammed hard into the ground, his legs slamming into sharp rocks before his body came to a halt in a small pool of black slip. His impact caused the slip to scatter and shoot into the air, coating every inch of his body.

It took a few moments before he could move, his entire body screaming at him. He struggled to pick himself up, his arms wobbling from nonstop running and slamming into different things. He tried to move again, start running but his left hind-leg sent a sharp pain through his body, causing him to collapse to the ground. With another low groan, he moved slowly, clawing at the ground as he could see his entire body coated in the black slip that coated the ground, it sticking to his scales and sizzling as whatever was in it reacted with his scales. He clenched his eyes, the pain excruciating and mind-blowing...

He could see... a cave... Yes, a cave! It was... close... somewhere... He continued to claw at the ground, see the sanctuary was at the end of the gully, hidden behind three large mushrooms and only visible if you were down in the gully... it was perfect... He clawed faster, slowly making his way to the entrance. He crawled inside the dimly lit cave, only able to carry himself a few feet before collapsing onto the ground and letting the pain take him into a deep slumber.

Memory Stream Detected...

Begin Memory Synchronization...

[Done]

* * *

"Yes, yes... The Purple Dragon... I know the story! But unlike you, I have not forgotten what they say Malefor was like when he was young..."

Chief Prowless to Hunter, February 12, 2204

-[]-

March 21, 1962 / 9:32 AM [Local Time] (0932 Hr MLTY)

Village of Argus, Southeastern Province of Artisan's

Subj. Malefor Age: 10 -6 Years Before Anomaly

* * *

"Malefor, wake up Malefor!"

The sun hit his scales, pouring in from the outside, promoting a sense of warmth to flow through him. His eyes fluttered a bit, slowly testing the air. He yawned, not wanting to get out of bed just yet. Well, "bed" was an overstatement. He lay on the floor, a small cloth sitting beneath him. This was his "bed". It wasn't as nice as some he'd seen back at the academy, but it did him well.

Lifting his head up, he looked around. His room was... modest. He as his mother lived in a small home, common in his native village of Argus. He had lived in the village all his life, with his mother. He had never known his father, though his mother spoke highly of him. She told him he died before Malefor was born, that he died in a war far away. For a long time it had upset Malefor, never having known his father.

"Malefor, think you could run into town, get us some fresh herbs?"

Malefor groaned. He hated going to the market, way too many people there... He liked the quiet nature of home.

"Alright! I'll be back!" He said back, leaving towards the exit to their home.

He walked outside and onto the dirt path. Homes lined the path, different races living all around. He could see two young dragons playing nearby, probably just a little younger then him. Two other dragons sat next to a larger structure, both looking at him oddly. He walked faster, trying to get out of their view.

He was... different from other dragons. He was purple. You see, every dragon was born with an element, an ability. Malefor on the other hand, he didn't have an element or an ability. He was just... purple. When he entered the academy when he was younger, he was picked on because he didn't have an element. He had just finished academy, albeit with low scores. You see, when a dragon reaches the age of 5, they go to academy. There they learn history, science, magic, math, all the basics. When they turn 10 they graduate and are readied for elemental academy when they turn 12. There they learn to harness their elements and delve into advanced studies... Malefor, however, would not be going to any of those academies for he didn't have an element. His mother was devastated, but was still very helpful and loving to him. She told him one day he'd find his element.

One day...

By now, he had reached the market. He could see dozens of tents and small huts set up along the sides of bigger buildings. All of them were filled with various people, all bargaining with the merchants for weapons, armor, food, clothing... all the necessities. He walked around, looking at the different herbs and fruits for sale. His mother usually liked the Envianial herbs from up north, deeper into Artisan's. He knew only two merchants had them here in Argus. He usually avoided one of them, because he would only get the cheapest herbs. The other one however, he always made sure he got the best ones. That was the merchant he bought from.

After looking for a bit, he saw the merchant, selling to an elderly faun. He walked over, purchased the herbs and happily paid the merchant. He turned, walking away with the herbs in a basket that he held in his mouth. As he walked back out of the market place, he saw the same elderly faun from before being tossed to the ground inside of an alleyway. Two larger jaguars tossed the faun to the ground, stepping on the herbs he had just purchased. The laughed, continuing to kick him around. One of the jaguars walked over and took several gemstones that the faun had on his person, laughing as he placed them in his own pocket.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Malefor yelled at them as he set his own herbs aside, walking towards them. The two jaguars turned, looking at him and laughing.

"Oh look at the little freak, get out of here before we beat you down." One said.

"Yeah, get out of here. The adults are conducting business."

"You're robbing that faun, you're not conducting business!" Malefor yelled back.

"Wrong little one, we're merely collecting a tax. He bought from an... unauthorized merchant. We're merely collecting the money he owes us. He agreed to our terms after all..."

"Terms?"

"Right, terms. We promise not to beat the ever living crap out of him as long as he buys from us, and only from us." The larger jaguar crossed his arms, looking intimidating to Malefor.

Malefor growled at him.

"You're nothing but bullies!"

The second jaguar started to growl, obviously annoyed with the younger dragon.

"You're starting to get on my nerves, get out of here if you know what's good for you!"

"No! You shouldn't be picking on the old faun like that! Let him go!"

"That's it..." The two jaguars walked over, flexing their muscles as they made an attempt to surround him.

Malefor looked between the two of them, they were both much larger then him. He needed to get out of this situation, and fast. He immediately shot forward, darting in-between the two larger jaguars, both of them reaching down quickly to try and grab them. They failed, nearly colliding into one another as Malefor leapt up onto a set of stacked crates. He turned, leaping down onto one of the jaguars and clawing at his back. The jaguar yelled out, throwing Malefor to the ground immediately. He grunted, getting up slowly. The other jaguar beat him to it though, grabbing him and throwing him into a wall. He hit the wall hard, slumping down.

Malefor promptly went back into charging into one of the jaguars. The jaguar immediately retaliated, smacking Malefor away into the wall again. This time, Malefor didn't get up as he felt pain rack across his body.

"We gave you a chance punk, you should have taken it..." The jaguar cracked his knuckles, approaching Malefor as he groaned on the ground.

"Hey, pick on someone your own size!" A new shout entered the scene, prompting Malefor to turn his head. He saw two dragons rush in and tackle the two jaguars to the ground. He could see that one was an earth dragon while the other was a fire dragon. The fire dragon was older, maybe 10 years older then the earth dragon. The earth dragon seemed to be around his own age.

The jaguar the earth dragon had tackled kicked him off, leaping at him with his powerful fists. The earth dragon leapt back, avoiding the blow easily before opening his muzzle and firing a burst of earth energy that sent the jaguar flying down the alleyway. The fire dragon threw the second jaguar onto his back before running over and kicking him several feet away.

The jaguar was about to get up and fight when the fire dragon opened his muzzle and unleashed a stream of scorching flame which sent the jaguar reeling back to avoid it.

"You got lucky your friends showed up! We won't forget this!" The jaguar yelled before picking up his friend and running the opposite way in turn.

Malefor grunted, sitting up and rubbing his jaw.

"You alright?" The earth dragon asked, walking over to help him up.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine..." He said, stumbling a bit while holding his face.

"Looked like you bit off a bit more then you could chew..." The fire one said, looking Malefor over.

"I just... I couldn't help but see them beat on this poor old faun..." Malefor said as he stumbled over to the faun who had for the entire fight, set himself against the wall. He was far too weak to try to get up and walk away. Malefor brought an arm over the old faun, helping him to get back up.

"Young one... that was... unnecessary. You shouldn't risk yourself against thugs like those..." The old faun said as Malefor helped him up.

"I couldn't just let them do that to you..." Malefor said with a grunt.

"That was very brave... thank you."

Malefor smiled at the faun as he started to slowly make his way over, picking up what herbs were left from the fighting.

"It's alright, here, take mine!" Malefor offered, rushing over to grab his basket, bringing it over to the old faun.

"Oh that's quite alright, you don't have to young one."

"No, I insist!" Malefor presented the basket to the older faun, who smiled and took it.

"Thank you young one, but I must get going. I have to bring these to my family." With that the faun was off, walking in the same path the jaguars had taken just earlier but instead walking peacefully into the crowd and disappearing into it.

Malefor watched with a smile before turning back to face the other two dragons who had watched him the entire time.

"Thanks for that... I'm pretty sure they would have beaten me up pretty bad..." Malefor admitted.

"I think they would have done more then that, looks like they were getting ready to kill you." The fire one said, snickering slightly but maintaining a bit of composure.

"Yeah, I guess so. Who are you guys?"

"Name's Ignitus, and this is my friend Terrador." The fire dragon stated, opening his wing and extending it to his friend who sat beside him.

"My name's Malefor! Nice to meet you guys." Malefor said with a smile.

"Hey, what kind of dragon are you? You don't look like any element I've seen." Terrador said.

"I... I don't know what I am. None of the village elders knew either. Nobody's ever seen a purple dragon like me." He said, looking to the ground.

"I've never heard of one either. A new element maybe? Ignitus?"

"Beats me, I've never heard of one either. Maybe your just... elementless?"

"Maybe... wish I could breathe an element. I probably could've taken those two down with one."

"Maybe, though that means you have more time to train in fighting!" Terrador took up a fighting stance, moving all around Malefor in a playful mood. Malefor chuckled.

"Maybe. Hey, where you two from, never seen any of you either."

"Oh, we're passing through. We're on our way to elemental academy right now. You see, its all part of our rite. I'm coming all the way from Peace Keepers, and Ignitus is from Southern Dragon Kingdom. We're heading to northern Artisan's right now."

"Oh wow, Peace Keepers? What's it like over there?"

"It's... hot. Lot's of desert. At least in the southern peninsula. I visited there years ago" Ignitus explained.

"Yeah, but that's still half of peace keepers. The other half is dense forest and snow covered mountains in the north." Terrador added.

"Still sounds pretty cool. Probably a lot better then here." Malefor looked around the town he had lived in his entire life. It sat in a very... unimportant place. They were surrounded by dense forest and to the north a mountain. He had seen that mountain too many times to count and explored the forest just as many times. He wanted to journey out... see other places.

"Well, depends on where you live in Peace Keepers. It's not nearly as stable as here. Here, you just worry about thugs. There, you got entire armies of people picking fights. One day I want to join the dragon army and help fight those battles." Terrador smiled as he said that. Malefor could tell it was something Terrador was excited for, a life ambition perhaps. Malefor would just be content on discovering what his element was. Even if he didn't have an element and could only fight with his claws he would just like someone to tell him that for sure so it could be settled once and for all.

"You guys going to stay a while? I could show you around!" Malefor offered.

"We were planning to stop here along the way. Sure!" Ignitus said with joy.

"Any place to eat?" Terrador asked.

"Yeah! Follow me!" Malefor said happily, leading them through the town.

Dysnc...

[Complete]

September 24, 2204

6:13 PM [Local time] (1822 Hr MLTY)

Cave within the Mushroom Forest

* * *

"Hey! Hey you! Get up!"

Malefor groaned, gripping his head as he came to slowly. He opened his eyes, seeing an angry face staring him down. He immediately recoiled, going back at least a foot.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The dragoness in front of him yelled, obviously very annoyed.

"What, what?! What the hell did I do?!" He asked, confused deeply. This only made her angrier.

"You're trespassing, in MY cave! What made you think you can sleep in MY cave?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your cave!" He tried to get up, backing up before falling over, yelling out over his sprained ankle. She growled again.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked, circling.

"I think I sprained my ankle..." He said as he limped a bit, looking down to his wounded leg.

"Well get out of here already!" She yelled again. He tried, but collapsed again as the pain proved to much.

"I can't!" He yelled back at her. This was met with yet another growl.

"Fine! But you better not bug me or I'll have to kick your ass and break that ankle!" She walked back, leaping up to another chamber of the cave, looking back at him with spite in her eyes before walking out of sight.

Malefor sighed, looking down to the ground as he could feel the afternoon air filling the cave. As he looked down, he noticed that his scales had turned a matte black from the slip outside. He grunted, trying to get it off, only to find out that the slip had either fallen off or dried, turning his entire body a matte black. Sighing sadly, he inspected his entire body, seeing that many of the thorns on his back and even part of his horns had some of the slip on them, but not all of them. Least he had some color left...

He looked up, out to the mouth of the cave. He could see the temple in the distance, through some of the mushrooms and foliage that covered the entrance. What had he done...? Why was he so hated...? He didn't understand... Was it why he couldn't remember anything...?

Aerulius... he told him he was special... was he really special...? He sighed sadly, looking back up. The dragon back there... Cynder... he... remembered that name. Something about it... it was... he couldn't place it. He knew her, and she knew him. This much was evident, especially in the way she attacked him back there...

Where did he remember her from though...? He...

/MEMSYNC/

[CORRUPTED]

"Commander, we've reached the chamber! The Guardians were of little concern. We met heavy resistance, from figures in black…"

"Regardless, have you completed your mission?"

"No Commander, the purple egg is missing. We think one of the Guardians hid it."

"How could you loose the egg?! That was our entire purpose of coming here!"

"The figures in black prevented us from reaching the egg in time. We think it was sent up river."

"Do what you can to find that egg. Do NOT let it escape."

"What of the other eggs sir?"

"Smash them, save only a few. You know only a dragon born on this night can break the bonds that hold our Master in Convexity."

"What about after that sir, he'll still be a spirit, incapable of coming back on his own."

"Leave that to me. Even if the purple dragon is born and allowed to live, he'll serve his purpose nonetheless…"

"Right Commander."

/Memory Incomplete, Dysnc/

[Done]

Malefor recoiled back, gasping as he felt a sharp pain shoot throughout his entire body. Who... who were those two talking just now...? Who was this master they kept referencing? Smashing eggs? Guardians? Purple egg? What was going on?!

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The voice from the dragoness made Malefor snap towards her, gasping as he was still shaken from the memory. She raised an eyebrow at him as he realized he must've startled her.

"I uh... I don't know..." He could only say.

"I leave for ten seconds and you start freaking out, who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm M-malefor..." He said, his eyes going wide instantly. Why did he say his name? With the ire he drew from the temple, she might attack him too! Oh no...

"Malefor...? I've heard that name before." There was a moment of silence as she looked at the ground, pondering where she had heard the name.

"Probably doesn't matter. Now why the hell do you keep freaking out?"

Malefor sighed, relieved.

"Just... some bad memories in dreams..."

"Bad memories?" She shook her head. "You are really weird." She added.

"W-who are you?" He asked.

"Eatherine" She said simply, leaping down to the chamber with him.

"So... why are you out here all by yourself in a cave?"

"Because I want to. I could ask you the same thing." She started walking all around him, inspecting him out now.

"Looks like you got covered in that muck outside, don't you know that stuff'll stick to you?"

"No... I'm... not from around here."

"Obviously. Well looks like you're going to stay that color for a while. How'd you sprain you ankle anyway?"

"I fell, down that slope."

"You know that slope is pretty visible, how the hell did you miss it?"

"I... was running..."

"From...?"

"I can't remember."

She sighed, getting frustrated with him. She shook her head and walked back up to the second chamber that was elevated compared to the one he was in.

"You can't remember anything, can you?" She said, a bit annoyed but with less tone then earlier.

"Not really... I just woke up in this swamp earlier. Can't remember anything."

She raised her eyebrow at him, looking to be skeptical of his claim. She shook her head again before going back to the other chamber, leaving him to his thoughts once again.

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

10:47PM [Local Time] (2247 Hr MLTY)

Temple Balcony, Dragon Temple

* * *

"Cynder, it's alright..."

"No it's not Spyro... he's back... I thought we were done with him..." Cynder said lowly, sobbing a bit as well. Spyro opened his arms, bringing her into a hug as she cried against his chest.

"We are done with him... We've beaten him, twice."

"But he's back Spyro... you saw him with your own eyes... he's back again..." She held herself tightly to him, a bit in fear and anguish.

"Yes I know... but I won't let him take you Cynder, or anyone else."

"How can you... we can't seem to make him go away, how can we be certain that we can ever beat him...?"

"I just... I think this time is different." Spyro turned his head, hearing some footsteps behind him.

"Spyro, I must speak to you. This is urgent." Terrador stood behind Spyro, flanked by two of the newly minted Temple Guards. The two were cheetahs, from Hunter's village. They both wore ceremonial armor that used to be worn by guards of old, but it wasn't until now that they were able to even have guards. Back then, they were exclusively dragons. But now, they had to improvise for lack of dragons. True their numbers had skyrocketed since they defeated Malefor the second time as dragons flocked from all over the realms to join those at Warfang but there just hadn't been the time to thoroughly train and ready these dragons for old sacred roles like there had been.

"Right... I'll be there in a second..." He said softly to the earth Guardian. Terrador nodded, and walked back towards the temple, the two guards in tow. Spyro turned his attention to Cynder who still held herself tightly to him. He could understand her worries... All her life she had spent in the shadow of the Dark Master or in fear of him. She had been used... tormented... and made to do things that would scar her for the rest of her life... and now she was free. She had finally been free from his tyranny, free to live a new life. Now... now Spyro himself was worried. He had started to have these strange visions again, just like he had before the Night of Eternal Darkness. This worried him greatly... especially since Malefor just arrived hours earlier, apparently in a younger form that was around his or Cynder's age. The strangest part, he had no clue who he really was, or who any of them were. When he defeated Cynder, she had reverted to a young age true, but they had taken down Malefor twice... why now? Why would he return now as a young dragon rather then any of those other times? Why had he seemingly forgotten everything as well? How had he even found the temple in the first place then? Things just didn't seem to add up...

He needed answers... for both his visions and Malefor's return. He needed to see the Chronicler, Ignitus.

"Spyro... it's ok... go see Terrador." Cynder finally said, sniffing a bit.

"Are you sure? I could stay out here a bit longer with you."

"No... they need you right now Spyro. I need some time alone with my thoughts..."

"Alright... I'll come back here in a bit." Spyro slowly let go of her, she nodding to his statement as he could see tears streaming down her face. He smiled to her, whipping away some of them. This elicted a smile from her as well before she motioned for him to go join Terrador. Spyro himself nodded and trotted off towards the main dojo to meet the earth Guardian.

He found Terrador inside of the Pool of Visions, looking down at it. To his sides sat Cyril and Volteer, the only remaining Guardians.

"Young dragon, I surmise you can guess why I wanted to see you with most haste."

"Malefor... We still haven't heard anything from the scouts?" Spyro asked, referring to the many dragons they had dispatched in pursuit of Malefor and Cynder.

"None whatsoever. It's as if he disappeared. This is deeply troubling... to have him just, appear here in the temple without warning." Terrador began.

"Not only that but it appears as thought he has no recollection of any of the previously transpired events." Cyril added.

"Worry has already began to spread throughout the temple Spyro, worry that the Dark Master has returned once more." Volteer added as well.

"What exactly are these visions you've been having Spyro? Are they tied to Malefor's arrival at the temple?" Terrador asked, looking intently at the purple dragon.

"I... I'm not sure. The visions, they're not as vivid as they were 3 years ago. I can only see some images, and darkness. I can also hear a voice, talking to me but I can never make out what he is saying."

"Could it be the Chronicler again?" Cyril inquired.

"I don't know, these feel different from when he contacted me."

"Spyro, I believe you should seek out the Chronicler again. He may be the only one who can fully explain any of these visions, and he might have some insight as to why Malefor has returned, and why."

Terrador instructed. Spyro nodded, he reaffirming what Spyro had already believed.

"What about Malefor? And Cynder?" Spyro asked.

"It would be best she remain here at the temple. I imagine with his arrival she must be deeply shaken. We'll continue to send scouts to the forest in search of him but he might have already fled the mushroom forest entirely. We'll continue searching." Cyril said. Spyro nodded again.

"I'll set out first thing in the morning." Spyro said before turning, walking back towards the dojo. Spyro was really troubled, not just because Malefor was back but... but of just how innocent he looked. How... naive. Was he really Malefor? There could be many Malefors but... he was still purple. It had to be him. He could see the resemblance in the way his horns were... it was... he just couldn't believe any of it.

"Hey Spyro!" Spyro turned, seeing a figure come from around the statue, coming towards him. It was Aaron, one of the dragons that had aided Spyro and Cynder in taking down Malefor this past time.

"Hey Aaron, I guess you've heard the news as well."

"Yeah, I came as quickly as I got word. The news is spreading like wildfire... people are starting to panic."

"I would imagine... "

"I talked to Cynder on the way in. I guess she isn't taking this too well..."

"No, not at all."

"I don't blame her... being the Dark Master's puppet for so long... I was lucky enough to find a way out before I could become like her." Spyro nodded as Aaron looked at the ground, remembering his own time in service to the Dark Master. It was good to have someone like him as an ally now.

"I'm going to set out tomorrow, to meet the Chronicler." Spyro said, making Aaron bring his gaze back up to Spyro.

"I guess he'd be the only one who can explain this whole mess huh? Mind if I tag along?"

"No... I need you here at the temple. Do me a favor, watch over Cynder for me while I'm gone. Make sure she doesn't do anything rash... She could use someone to talk to as well."

"No problem, I'll make sure she doesn't hunt down the bastard all by herself. No telling what he's capable of... Is it true though, that he's returned as a child?"

Spyro nodded. Aaron shook his head silently.

"Bastard thinks he can hide amongst us..."

"Something tells me it's not as simple as that."

End of Chapter 02

-[]-

Author's Comment: Think I got some formatting issues resolved, tell me what you guys think.


	3. Breaking New Ground

Chapter 3: Breaking New Ground

* * *

"At First, he learned fire, which was odd because he was not a fire dragon..."

Chronicler to Spyro, September 22, 2201

-[]-

April 12, 1965 / 9:12 AM [Local Time] (0912 Hr MLTY)

Temple of Our Ancestors, Dragon City of Arcantheus

Subj. Malefor Age: 13 -3 Years Before Anomaly

* * *

Malefor slashed his claws, slicing in half another dummy that sat within the central dojo. The dummy was sliced by his sharp claws, falling in half and collapsing onto the stone floor. He panted, having just ruthlessly destroyed his thirteenth dummy this morning. It was all part of the training... He had to stay in top physical shape. The Guardians had been training him for some time, but the main goal of their training had eluded them.

Malefor still remained elementless.

After months of rigorous training, they had yet to crack at just what his element was. Aurelius had tried countless techniques to awaken his element, but nothing proved fruitful. Thaklor and some of the other Guardians began to wonder if Malefor was just indeed elementless and was to be skilled in martial arts. They did, after all, have a sub race of dragons who were elementless, it wasn't unheard of. They even had a Guardian for that talent. Malefor had shown great prowess in his fighting abilities, learning quickly and surprising the Guardians in that regard. It kind of gave him a bit of confidence, being able to at least be good in something, especially when he really had nothing.

"Well done young one, well done." Malefor turned, seeing Aurelius walk up behind him, smiling. He had just beaten his record for the course they had set up. He had decimated their small army of dummies in under thirty seconds. He smiled, nodding in acknowledgement. He would have said "thank you" but he was just too tired to say anything. Beside Aurelius stood Fayveer, the Ice Guardian.

"I'm very impressed with his abilities Master Aurelius. He is indeed performing well. In fact, Commander Larcius wishes to see him in action. We may have indeed discovered his abilities after all." Fayveer said, beaming slightly as Malefor could see that he was just bursting with ideas for Malefor. He was ready for anything they could throw his way. He didn't want to disappoint after all...

"Not quite yet. I still believe there is much more hidden inside of you, young Malefor. We just have to really crack at it. Great work, go ahead and take a break. Come back after lunch and we'll try again with the energy gems."

"Right Master Aurelius." Malefor said rather quickly, still short of breath. He bowed respectively, Aurelius returning it. The light Guardian walked off with the Ice Guardian, going to the edge of the room and disappearing behind two double doors.

Malefor let out a soft sigh, letting a bit of his composure slip. He had, up until now, been holding in the fact that he was EXHAUSTED. Yeah, he completed that course in thirty seconds, but it made him exhausted doing that. He made his way to the edge of the room, sitting along the stone floor. He pressed his back against the wall, breathing in deep. Man, this training was tough... but if he was fulfilling a purpose... so be it. If he was to really be the vanguard of the new age, he needed to be at his fullest.

Taking in a deep breath, he gazed around the room. The room was just enormous, spanning hundreds of feet. It was circular, being topped off with a massive glass dome with a hole in the middle of it. Light filtered in from outside through the hole, bathing the entire room in sunlight.

This is how he had spent many of his mornings here, training with the Guardians. He essentially lived here with them. It was... a very lonely life he had to admit. He didn't really get to mingle or meet with many of the other dragons who were here at the temple. The temple housed the most prestigious elemental academy ANYWHERE. The only better would be the Dragon Temple, where the Guardians were housed. However, only Guardian candidates were taken there to train and be observed to see if they were worthy... Here, young dragons were taught by the Guardians themselves every few years. They traded between residing here at the Temple of Our Ancestors and the Dragon Temple.

Malefor had seen some of the dragons who were here, but he wasn't allowed to speak to them. The Guardians felt that it might "interfere" somehow with his training or unlocking his abilities. Malefor hated it... He got so lonely sometimes and he just wanted someone to talk to. He didn't even get to eat lunch with them, he had special meals made for him by the finest chefs the realms had to offer. It kinda sucked.

The Guardians knew best however... he couldn't question their wisdom.

Malefor let out a soft sight, pressing his head against the stone wall, looking up.

Suddenly, he felt the wall give out a bit from behind him, making him jolt.

"Pssssst, hey! Over here!"

"Who said that?" Malefor said, looking all around. He could see a small hole in the wall where someone had removed a stone.

"Hey, come here! Yeah, you! Over here!" A voice called out from the hole, belonging to a dragoness.

Malefor lifted an eyebrow, walking over to the wall, peering inside.

"Hey, you're the purple one they keep talking about!" She said.

"Y-yeah... what do you want?" He asked, seeing her eyes through the wall.

"That's so neat! Hey, how come we never see you around the other parts of the temple? They keep you in here? What's up with that?"

"Hey, how did you get in there?" He asked, suddenly realizing she was in the wall.

"It's easy silly, go over there to where you were sitting." She ran off, disappearing from her hole.

He turned back to where he was sitting, seeing where he had left a small impression in the wall in the stones. He pushed in on the stones, seeing a few give and fall. These weren't even secured in place! He moved more, creating a hole large enough for him to slip through.

He leapt down, into the hole, seeing that the entire wall was hollow, creating a large space between the walls, wide enough for him to walk uncontested and as tall as the walls themselves. It was also well lit, some holes in the roof allowing for sunlight to filter in.

"Woah... " Malefor said, looking around.

"Cool isn't it? The Guardians have NO idea this place is back here." She said, trotting over to him.

"Yeah... This place is neat. How far do these go?" He asked.

"Oh you can find these almost everywhere in the temple. Most kids use them to hide from teachers and play during sessions. Some even go off into actual rooms. We think they were used to build the temple, like... worker rooms I guess." She explained, sitting atop a stone slab that had fallen over the years. looking down onto him. "So... you really are that purple dragon they keep talking about. What's your name?" She asked.

"I'm Malefor. Why, the Guardians keep talking about me?"

"Not just the Guardians, everyone talks about you. The Teachers, the students, everyone in the city. They say... you're supposed to be some special creature, right? That's so neat!" She said, leaping down to examine him closer. He backed up a bit, a little uncomfortable.

"I... I guess so... I don't feel special."

"But, look at your scales!" She grabbed one of his arms, looking at the purple scales.

"H-hey! Watch it!" He said, freaked out a bit as she eyed each detail on his scales.

"Oh relax baby." She said before setting his arm down. "That, is so cool." She said, smiling at him.

He dusted his arm off a bit before setting it down, seeing her look at him before smirking.

"What's your name? You a student here?" He asked.

"Oh I'm Vesinianne! You can just call me Vesi though, that's what everyone calls me. And yeah, I'm a student here. I'm a water dragoness, so Guardian Lietus teaches me and my class along with the other teachers. It's really fun, but we've never trained in the main dojo before, you're so lucky..."

"Yeah... guess you could say that..."

She tilted her head at him, seeing a frown creep onto his face at her comment.

"Hey, how come we never see you around the other parts of the temple?"

"The Guardians don't want me talking to any of the other students. They think it'll... 'interfere' with my training. Not sure what that means though..."

She frowned a bit, raising an eyebrow.

"Not seeing how a bit of talking'll kill you... man it must be lonely up there by yourself! You never get to see anyone, ever?"

"No, I just see the Guardians."

"Man, come on! I'll show you to some of my friends! You got to have someone else to talk to, come on!" She grabbed his arm, punching through any sort of protest Malefor was about to offer as she dragged him down the hollowed out walls to the other parts of the temple.

They passed through quite possibly the entire length of the wall to the dojo, before reaching a separate hallway that shot off in another direction. They took the hallway, it being dimly lit by some torches and lined by a few crates, covered in dust from years and years of no usage.

She lead him further down, this hallway going into one of the rooms she had spoken off with many more hallways branching off. The room had several crates and lamps that were overturned, but it wasn't those that Malefor was looking at. No, he was more interested in the three small dragons playing in the middle of the room with a small ball.

They looked no older then eight, and he assumed they would probably need to be in Academy.

"Hey Vesi, wanna join us?" One of them asked, all three stopping when the two entered.

"Not right now, I'm taking my friend here to meet some other friends." She said with a smile.

"Hey, shouldn't you guys be in Academy?" Malefor finally asked.

"Yeah... but it's boring in there! We only learn about math... and some magic things... Nothing fun!" Another one said with a groan.

"Yeah, but it's important that you guys learn that stuff. You'll need it growing up."

"You know, he's right. You guys should pay more attention in those sessions, and show up more." Vesinianne added.

"Oh alright..." One of them said in defeat.

"Killjoy..." Another said, walking off.

"Hey what about you? Don't you have elemental sessions right now?" Malefor asked to Vesinianne. She looked at him before looking up, thinking.

"Um... well... sort of..." She began.

"Sort of...?"

"Yeah." She said, walking up onto one of the crates.

"I'm taking a... short break."

He laughed at this, raising an eyebrow.

"A break? Really now?"

"Yeah! Besides, it was almost over. That and... I don't have another session until after lunch." She said with a sly smile. He laughed again, shaking his head.

"I guess." He said. This time, she laughed, leaping back down.

"Come on, you need to lighten up a bit." She said, motioning for him to follow. He shook his head again before trotting off after her.

"So... what's your element Malefor? Surely if you're purple you have this awesome element." She said, continuing on through the increasingly more narrow passageways.

"Actually, I don't have an element, I'm elementless." He said, following her every movements. She stopped suddenly, turning back to him.

"Really? You don't have an element?" She asked.

"No... Even after all of the Guardian's attempts I just haven't used any elements yet. They think that's just how I am, nonelemental."

"Wow, that kinda stinks. I guess that means you're really great at close combat?"

"Yeah, they say I'm learning fast in that regard. Guess that's what my 'element' is."

"Guess so, still kinda stinks." She said as she ran off, Malefor following just as so. They continued through the tunnels before reaching another room. This one was much larger, and had a wooden floor. Along the wall were windows that let light filter into the room. You could see the dragon city from within the room, and it was an interesting sight.

Inside the room were a few beds and crates, and two dragons who sat on the beds, looking at a few scrolls and books that were sprawled across the beds.

"This is our secret hide out, where we go between our sessions, come on!" She pulled Malefor down into the room, the other two dragons looking up as they entered.

"Hey Vesi, who's your new friend?"

"Oh wow, is he that purple dragon everyone keeps talking about?"

"Yep! His name's Malefor. Malefor, this is Nalus and Ulric!" She said, introducing them.

"Nice to meet ya Malefor! I'm an earth dragon." Nalus said, shaking his paw.

"I'm a wind dragon, hey, what's your element?" Ulric asked.

"Uh..." He said, looking away a bit.

"He doesn't have an element, he's elementless." Vesinianne said.

"Oh wow, that kinda sucks. Guess that means you have some killer moves, huh?" Ulric asked.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." Malefor said, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, come one, show us some of them!" Nalus said, moving into a fighting position.

"I really shouldn't." Malefor said.

"Aww, come on man! Just one!" Ulric said.

"Go ahead Malefor, show them." Vesinianne said, backing up the other side of the room. Malefor chuckled a bit, remembering that she saw him train.

"Alright, if you want." Malefor finally said.

"Sweet, bring it." Nalus said.

Malefor took a step back, looking over Nalus as he stood in his fighting stance. Nalus stood in a classic pouncing position, his body tilted forward slightly and his rear end higher then his front end. His head was tucked low, with his neck extended out a bit and his wings folded against his body. Hmm... let's see...

Malefor quickly moved forward, anticipating his pounce, which he did do. Malefor pressed his body against the floor before rolling so his back was against the floor and his arms up to hit against Nalus's exposed stomach. He kicked him once, sending him in the air, which Malefor followed up immediately by finishing his roll, landing on his feet and propelling himself into the air to meet Nalus, grabbing him and bringing him down onto the floor, using his paws to subdue Nalus by holding him in key areas so he couldn't move. Nalus struggled, grunting as he found himself completely immobilized.

"That... was awesome." Ulric said.

"No fair, I want a rematch!" Nalus said under Malefor. Vesinianne giggled, laughing at her friend as she walked over.

"Hey, you did want to spar with him after all. Serves you right he kicked your tail." She said. Nalus scowled before Malefor released him, smiling to himself as he let a chuckle slip.

"Ow..." Nalus said, rubbing his neck. Malefor just burst out laughing now, unable to contain it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... laugh it up..." Nalus said.

"Hey guys, it's almost lunch, let's go grab a bite!" Ulric said.

"Yeah I'm good for that." Nalus said.

"Yeah. I think Alvise is already down there. Let's meet her there!" Ulric said.

"Yeah, let's go Malefo-... oh right..." Vesinianne said, remember what Malefor had told her,

"Yeah... I can't go with you guys." He said.

"Huh, why not?" Ulric asked.

"He can't leave the main dojo, the Guardians won't allow him to mingle with us." She explained.

"Oh man, that sucks! No, we gotta show you the others!" Nalus said.

"How can we sneak him past the other Guardians then?" Vesinianne said.

"Simple." Ulric said, going over and grabbing the sheets from his bed. He used a small rope nearby to form a sort of robe. He walked over to Malefor, tossing it over him and tying it up.

"Hey, what the?!" Malefor began to protest, feeling the dragons all over him.

"There." Nalus said, stepping back to inspect his work. He had managed to get the covers to cover every part of Malefor, forming a hood that would fit snuggly over his head too.

"Oh wow, perfect!" Vesinianne said, seeing the clever disguise.

"Come on. let's go grab some lunch!" Ulric said, going back to the tunnels.

They lead him down several passageways, going all throughout the temple. They finally reached the end of one, it dropping off into a dark hallway which looked to be part of the academy itself. They carefully removed a grate which separated the hallway from their passageway, each of them slipping outside. Malefor was the last to leap out, Nalus and Ulric closing the grate behind them.

"Man this thing's kinda itchy..." Malefor said softly, getting a "shush" from the other dragons. They continued down the Academy, the hallways lined with decorative pillars and brick walls. Malefor had never been down here... it looks so interesting.

They proceeded down many corridors, some containing dragons and some not. Malefor could feel each curious eye upon him as he ran to keep up with the others, the whole disguise rather itchy.

They arrived at the Main Hall, where all the food was served. It was just as enormous as the dojo. Tables lined the interior, each lined with dragons here and there who ate from various dishes, some Malefor had never seen or heard of before. A kitchen on the side served the students, passing out trays along the side with the various foods.

"Oh wow..." Malefor said softly. He was definitely not allowed here. He felt so guilty disobeying Aurelius like this...

"Come on, I see Alvise over there!" Ulric said, ushering them over to a table that was thankfully off to the side and out of the way. They sat down at the table, the dragoness in question eating with a few other girls who looked to be studying something.

"Hey guys! Who's your new friend?" The dragoness asked.

Vesinianne walked over to her, whispering something in her ear, making her head perk up.

"Wow, really? That's so cool!" She said, looking intently at Malefor as he perked his own head up to see better. Vesinianne turned to Malefor, smiling.

"This is Alvise, one of our other friends." She said.

"Pleased to meet you." Malefor said.

"Come on, I'm going to go get food." Ulric said.

"Yeah me too!" Nalus said, going with him.

"What's it like, being a... you know." Alvise said.

"Uh... alright I guess. I spend my whole time up in the main dojo, so I don't know what it's like here."

"Oh that sucks, hey, sit with us!" She said. She turned back to Vesinianne, talking in a low voice. "You know the Guardians'll kill us right...?"

"Only if they catch us..." She responded.

"If you say so..."

"Hey, eat this!" Nalus ran back over, dropping a tray in front of Malefor with a few foods Malefor was not familiar with. It looked like cooked sheep, but with a different kind of sauce on it.

"I topped it with my special sauce, try it!" Nalus said again, encouraging him.

"No way, you stole that from Ivor last week!" Ulric said.

"No! I made it myself! Go on, try it!"

Malefor looked over the sauce, it being a thick red paste with a bit of glossy yellow on it. He picked up a bit of the meat and took a bite, it being sweet and savory. The sauce added to the sweetness of it, but it quickly turned hot. Very, very hot!

"Oh God! Water!" Malefor said, covering his mouth as the fiery sauce ate away at his tongue.

"See, told you it's too hot." Ulric criticized.

"No that just means it's just right." Nalus said with glee.

"Boys, water?" Vesinianne said with a soft giggle, giving Malefor a bowl of water that Malefor quickly took and chugged. Vesinianne laughed at this, covering her mouth a bit as it fell into a snicker. Malefor panted, blushing a bit as he pulled the hood over him more now. Now he felt hot all over... that water was barely helping.

"What's the matter? Aww, now you guys made him shy." Vesinianne said, seeing Malefor take a step back. It wasn't that... well... the sauce... it was way too hot! Or... was it? He felt a fire alright, and it was rushing through him and he could not explain it. He didn't even notice the blush that had crept onto his face as Vesinianne giggled at him, feeling more ashamed of just that and letting the sauce getting to him... He had to calm himself, but...

Out it came, and boy, did it come out.

Malefor let out a small grunt, a burp if you will. However, when he burped, gas didn't come out, fire came out. A soft jet of fire rushed out, filling the air in front of him and making all the dragons near him recoil back.

"What the hell?! Did you just breathe fire?!" Nalus said, backing up.

"I thought you said he was elementless!" Ulric exclaimed.

"I thought he was..." Vesinianne admitted, looking at Malefor as he had quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment, looking all around as all the dragons within a 2 foot radius of him were now staring at him.

"Oh shit, I think one of the Guardians saw that..." Ulric said, motioning for them to start leaving.

"Oh great, no elements outside sessions..." Vesinianne said, recalling the rules.

"Wait, what?" Malefor said, confused.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Alvise said, leading them towards the main exit. Malefor turned, seeing one of the Guardians looking around, definitely onto them as he spotted Malefor, locking onto him and marching faster through the lanes. Oh shit... now he was in for it!

"Come on, we have to get back to the passageways and loose him! They still don't know about those!" Nalus yelled as they left the Main Hall, now moving into the sprint.

They rounded several corners, trying to find their way back to the passageway. The entrance was just around the corner, they could make it!

They rounded the corner, running smack into Aurelius and two other Guardians. They had no time to react, smashing into the head Guardian's chest, rebounding back onto the ground. Malefor's cape flew off, fluttering onto the floor nearby as he fell on top of the heap of dragons that lay in front of Aurelius.

"Malefor...?" Aurelius asked.

"H-hello Master..." He said, a nervous smile on his face. Aurelius did not smile back, or give any hint of amusement. Oh boy... he was in deep trouble...

"I'm sorry Malefor..." Vesinianne said, frowning as she knew she just screwed over her knew friend. Malefor didn't respond, sinking his body into the others, hiding any way he could.

"Master Aurelius!" The Guardian who had been pursuing the group rounded the corner, almost trampling over them in the process.

"Yes Guardian Berylsythe, what is it?" Aurelius asked.

"One of these younglings, they used an element outside of session." He said, huffing softly,

"Which one was it?"

"The one with the cape... it was..." He looked around, seeing the cape on the floor nearby but not the wearer. He did catch Malefor, which made him stop in his tracks.

"It... it was me Master Aurelius..." Malefor softly said. Aurelius's eyes went wide.

"You? You breathed an element? What was it?!"

"It was fire..."

Aurelius looked at the other Guardians, motioning for them to head to the main dojo.

"Malefor come with me, quickly." Aurelius said, starting to walk but stopping and turning, his face saying he was deep in thought.

"Bring your friends too."

Connection Lost, reverting...

[Done]

* * *

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

September 24, 2204

10:32 AM [Local Time] (1032 Hr MLTY)

Cave within Mushroom Forest

* * *

Malefor grumbled, feeling a foul taste in his mouth. He quickly recoiled up, finding himself inside the cavern. He breathed fast, almost in a pant as his head darted around the room. Oh yes... the cave...

He sighed.

Another one of these memories, and one that was fond to him... least he thought it was, he didn't have much to compare it to after all.

Though, it seemed better then... all of this.

He tried to move his leg, being quickly reminded that it was in no shape to truly move as it shot a massive amount of pain through his body.

He smelled something.. something... good! He spun his head around, seeing a piece of cooked meat on a leaf, laying nearby.

He quickly crawled over, feeling very famished. He hadn't eaten in... oh whatever that wasn't important. He grabbed the meat, eating into it. The savory taste rocked his tongue, giving him a temporary moment of bliss.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Malefor looked up, seeing Eatherine sitting on the upper level, looking down to him. She had a rather... how to put it... 'unamused' face on. Though, that was how she usually looked.

Malefor quickly swallowed, taking in a sharp breath from the rapid ingestion of the meat.

"It's... good... Did you cook this?" He asked.

"Uh huh... have to learn to cook when you're all alone."

"Can eat it raw."

"You get more nutrients if its cooked."

"If you say so... Thanks though."

"It's not free, you owe me for that. Though I can't expect you to hunt like that." She said, pointing to his ankle. She was right... He was in no condition to head out to gather food at all.

"It's getting better... I think..."

She leapt down, walking over to his ankle. She knelt down, picking up his leg and inspecting his leg.

"H-hey!" He said, highly uncomfortable with all of this.

"Oh quit crying." She said, continuing her inspections. Malefor let out a low sigh, relenting.

"Looks more bruised then anything. You should be fine in a day or so. Lucky it didn't break." She said, lowering his leg. "Eat these herbs, they'll help with your leg." She said, handing him some leaves.

"Thanks... how do you know so much about medicine?"

"That isn't free either, you're still going to have to pay me back."

He sat up more, sighing again.

"I'll pay you back, I promise."

"Actually, I think I know of a way for you to do just that." She turned to him, deep thought in her eyes. Oh, Malefor knew that look...

"How?" He asked, probing it.

"I'm... looking for somebody, and I could use some help."

"Alright, who are you looking for?"

"For someone who has wronged me. They're here, in this area. I want to... confront them. That's all." She walked towards the rocks, climbing them as she talked, turning to face him as she finished her statement.

"Something tells me there's more to it than that."

"That's all you need to know for now. Enjoy the lunch." She leapt up, going to the upper chamber. Malefor looked at the ground, shaking his head softly. Well, it was the least he could do for her providing the food... and the herbs...

He turned, eating the meat once more. Oh God it tasted so good... He wondered what the herbs tasted like... He took a few, crunching on a few of the leaves... It tasted... kinda hot! Oh shit, they were spicy! They tasted familiar... sorta like...

Oh God damn it, it was what was in Nalus's sauce!

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

5:34 PM [Local Time] (1734 Hr MLTY)

White Isle

Spyro flapped his wings, landing on the sandy beaches that lined the White Isle. It had taken him all day, but he had flown the distance here by himself. It wasn't that far from the temple to here, but Spyro would rather to not make the return trip for a little bit.

He walked along the beach, finding the oh so familiar entrance into the ruins followed by the familiar statues and broken pillars that lead to the interior of the island. He made good time, having taken this path a few times already. He arrived at the inner chambers where 3 years ago, he was forced to undertake four perilous tests with each element, beating each one in succession. He was then forced to confront the elemental dragon... before he was allowed entrance to the Chronicler's inner chambers. There he came face to face with the Chronicler, who revealed to him the history of the Dark Master.

Since then, the Chroniclers had changed, and now Ignitus stood as the Chronicler. He had helped him beat Malefor when he came again only months before. He was hoping he could do the same for him now... or at least give insight as to what was going on...

This time, the puzzles were all closed and locked away, like last time. The door stood open for Spyro to enter, inviting him in. Spyro did just that, entering into the Chronicler's massive library.

"Hello? Ignitus?" He called out, walking towards the hour glass that sat in the middle of the room, dominating the scene.

"Why hello young dragon. I expected you'd be giving me a visit soon." Ignitus walked around the hour glass, putting a few books away that had been floating in front of him moments before.

"I came because..."

"Malefor has returned? Yes... I know..." Ignitus said, cutting Spyro off.

"Yes... but he's returned in a... younger form. Like Cynder did when I defeated her."

"Yes, I know this too. This is especially troubling. I wish I could tell you what is going on but I am at a loss too. I've been spending the past few months delving over records pertaining to the Dark Master but I am having trouble. It appears as though the records are vanishing."

"Vanishing? What do you mean?"

"I mean, someone or something has erased information that had been made about the Dark Master."

"Do you think the previous Chronicler did this...?"

"No, I do not suspect it was him. This is much more recent. Just a few months ago, a library containing precious information on Malefor and his past was burned to the ground. It's as if there is an effort to hide this information, bury it."

"Why would someone want to do that?"

"Make people forget what happened. Forget history so they can rewrite it. Did you notice that Malefor was apparently ignorant to his past or to who any of you were?"

"Yeah... I noticed that... I was hoping you could tell me more about that."

"Alas I cannot. Whoever or whatever is doing this is indeed powerful, to be able to erase information from the great records within these halls."

Spyro sighed. This entire trip was a waste. Even Ignitus couldn't tell him anything about what was happening...

"I can however, tell you that it is imperative that you find Malefor, find him before others do. I suspect that only he himself can truly explain to you what is going on and if not, he may be key to what is happening. Regardless of what has happened, I think it may be beneficial to not let past feelings cloud your judgment and let reckless revenge guide your thinking."

"I know... it's just that..."

"That what, young one?" ignitus always knew when something was troubling young Spyro, and it wasn't hard seeing that there was something else bothering the young dragon.

"Malefor... when he... when I saw him at the temple he... "

"He resembled you?"

Spyro nodded, looking up to Ignitus.

"Young dragon, I'm sure you've heard many tales about Malefor from when he was young."

Spyro again nodded.

"I remember Chief Prowless referencing him, saying he was similar to me when he was young."

"Indeed he was. I remember in my youth I came across Malefor in a village far to the north. Me and Terrador found him defending a helpless faun who was being tortured by vicious thugs. He gave he could to protect this old faun, asking for nothing in return. When we talked to him, he seemed to have no aspiration for any type of power, just wanting to be able to help those who weren't able to help themselves. He did indeed, seem like you."

"That's... what worries me..." Spyro said softly, looking down to the floor.

"Worried that you might one day become like the Dark Master was?"

Spyro once more nodded, looking back up to Ignitus.

"Spyro, I remember when Malefor did turn evil, when he let loose his Ape armies onto the realms. I stood shoulder to shoulder with the great Aurelius with 10,000 dragons, poised to not let Malefor enter the realms. I saw what true evil looked like... what he had become. I do not believe you are capable of becoming that."

"But... you said it yourself that he was like me... in every way... How did he become evil? What did he do that I have yet to do that made him turn? I don't... I don't want to become like that..."

"Young dragon I understand your concern... I believe there was something that happened in Malefor's life, something that set him on a different path then you. It is interesting that he would return as a dragon your age. Perhaps this is related to a path he took, a turning point in his life. I've seen you though Spyro, you are driven by love, love for those around you. I don't quite know what Malefor had that set him on the different path, but I suspect it was a lack of something that drove him for a quest for power. You, you have Cynder. The two of you share a deep bond that has broken everything the darkness can throw at you two. This is why I don't think you'll ever become like the Dark Master. You have something to fight for."

Spyro smiled up at Ignitus, a tear in his eye. Ignitus smiled down to him, as a father would to a son.

"Earlier... you mentioned an "Aurelius". Malefor mentioned his name too. Who was he?"

"Aurelius was a great dragon, the leader of the Dragon armies and of the Guardians as they existed back then. He was the last of the light dragons, an ancient race of dragons said to have been direct descendants of our ancestors. He was also the main teacher and mentor to Malefor when he was brought to the temple for training, and I suspect taught him many of the things he knows now. Aurelius believed he was creating a beacon of hope in Malefor, that he was shaping a better future for all dragons in Malefor. He saw great potential in him... Though, I don't know what quite went wrong.

Aurelius made sure he would correct the mistakes he made... but he was never truly able to defeat the beast he made."

"What happened to him?"

"Nobody knows. it is said he defended the temple to his last breath from Malefor. He believed surrendering the temple to the beast would be a sin upon itself... and he probably paid with his own life. After his death, Malefor's reign was inevitable."

"What stopped him then?"

"After Aurelius died, it was up to a small band of fighters who were lead by Troy. They tracked down Malefor, much like you did, and fought him. I was one of the dragons, fighting side by side with Troy. We defeated Malefor, just barely. Unlike now, we had an entire army to help us. You were forced to take on Malefor by yourself with only the aide of Cynder."

"I've heard the name Troy before... I even saw a statue along the beach south of Warfang."

"I'm not surprised. Troy is hailed as being the one who defeated Malefor, and it really was because of him that we won. Aurelius trained him personally to make up for the mistakes he had made. Though Troy, he is a bit of a mystery, one I'm not sure I completely believe."

"Why is that?"

"It is said Troy arrived in the realms suddenly, and mysteriously. He had no home, no family. It's as if he just "happened". It was as if there was some force that planted him here to deal with Malefor, much like you were sent to help fight him in recent times."

"A force? I thought it was just nature's way of balancing itself."

"That may be, though nature is looking like it's acted a lot in the past. From what I've read in my time here, there's something to it." Ignitus said with a bit of a chuckle.

"So what happened to Troy then?"

"That is another mystery. Just as he came to deal with Malefor, so to did he just "Vanish" without a trace. Nobody knows what happened to him, but it is rumored he still walks the realms to this day, hunting down those who wrong the innocent."

Spyro sighed. He wished he could have Troy's help now, or at least more incite to Malefor's past. Any of it could be beneficial to him now. Wait, the visions! He had almost forgotten!

"Ignitus, these past few weeks I've been having visions again, much like on the Night of Eternal Darkness. Have you been trying to send me a message?"

"Visions? No young one, I haven't sent you any visions. What do you see in these visions?"

"That's just it, I don't know. I just see these... images of a dragon, they kind of resemble Malefor as he is now. I can also hear a voice... speaking to me but I can't make out the words."

"Other then being tied to Malefor's recent arrival, there's nothing else I can really make out of those... but I do know of a place you can go to explain those."

"Where?"

"Back when you fought Malefor the second time, you remember the ruins beneath Gale?"

"Yeah, that's where I remember a voice speaking to me, talking to me about the Final Solution."

"I've read more about that place, and I believe a powerful force resides there. Go there, and seek it out. I think it may be responsible for the visions you are having. Those ruins are older then all of the realms combined, and there may be a lot more answers down there then meets the eyes."

"Right, I'll head there. What of Malefor though?"

"After you investigate the ruins, find him. Find him before Cynder does, I think she may be more rash then you against him. She may kill him before anyone has a chance to speak to him."

"I know... I fear she is hunting for him right now."

"It is imperative that we talk to Malefor, learn what he has to say. He may not remember much, but I think it'll come back to him. Once he remembers, many more pieces to the puzzle will be solved, and we can begin to crack at this mystery."

"Right Ignitus, I'll set out right away."

"Good luck to you young dragon, and make haste."

Spyro set out once more, running towards the exit and towards the plains of Mandobar.

End of Chapter 3


	4. An End to Innocence

Chapter 4: An End to Innocence

* * *

May 7, 1965 | 3:14 PM [Local Time] (1514 Hr MLTY)

Temple of Our Ancestors, Dragon City of Arcantheus

Subj. Malefor Age: 13 -3 Years Before Anomaly

* * *

"Yes that's it, feel the energy flow through you… feel it's power… allow it to fester, build… Control it, harness it, but don't let it consume you. You control it, and in turn, you are the master of yourself… Let this lesson ring true to yourself young Malefor…"

Malefor breathed in, his eyes closed. He could feel the energy… flowing through him… it was… great, powerful, amazing… He could feel the power flowing around him, but he could control it… he could harness it. He opened his eyes, seeing his body glowing as energy flowed around him. He took in a deep breath, bringing his paws up to his chest. The energy flowed to his paws, coming together in a sphere of fire, rotating softly as it gave off a low glow.

"Very good, very good indeed young one!" Aurelius said as he stood nearby, smiling at the young dragon. Malefor smiled but tried to keep his focus, his face lighting up as he was amazing himself.

"Very good Malefor! You know that took me years to master, yet you did it in a few days… Very impressive." Guardian Berylsythe said in amazement, sitting nearby.

"Now, unleash the power young Malefor, let your mind, your being control it…" Aurelius said. Malefor nodded, pushing his paws back before shoving them forward, thrusting the fire out before him.

Malefor kept his paws out, flexing his talons as he tracked the sphere, still able to feel the power, feel the connection. He guided the fire around the room, using his mind to steer it. It was hard… to maintain this connection, but he tried his hardest to maintain it.

"This technique allows for you to guide the element, send it wherever you command rather then an unguided stream of energy. Now you can hit any target, any foe…" Aurelius walked around the room as he spoke, watching the fire dance across the room, narrowly avoiding some of the dummies that sat within the dojo.

Malefor grunted, feeling the difficulty of guiding the element. As it got farther, it was slower to take his commands… he tried to compensate but it was so hard… and well…

Oops.

Malefor blinked, lowering his hands as he realized his sphere had collided with Guardian Berylsythe, colliding into his chest. The impact left a small scorch mark on his scales that slowly dissipated. Malefor's eyes went wide, backing up a bit.

Berylsythe just laughed, shaking his head.

"Think nothing of it Malefor, I am unharmed." He said, smiling at Malefor. Malefor gave back a nervous smile, still a little weary from it all.

"I think that's enough for today, go rest young one, you've earned it." Aurelius said, smiling at Malefor too.

He smiled, thankful. He had been working hard for these past few weeks… trying to master Fire and all. So far he'd done well, learning much of what Berylsythe had to teach him, even though it took him a lifetime to gain all his knowledge and prowess with the element. It was astonishing everyone…

Except Malefor, even though he had amazed himself by this, he knew he could do better, do more. He always knew he could do more… and could do much better. If he didn't, he felt like he'd let everyone down, especially Aurelius, who held Malefor so highly…

He was grateful though, in the aftermath of his little… adventure a few months ago… that Aurelius and the other Guardians had now allowed him to freely access the Temple and see the others, not restricted to being here in the dojo, and his quarters up above. He now got to hang out and be with his friends like Nalus, Ulric and Vesinianne. They even spared with Malefor in the dojo, which normally would have been forbidden, but Aurelius thought it be wise that he was able to practice skills on those his age and size. Even though no real combat was happening, it was a way to hone his skills, and keep Malefor on his toes. He hadn't lost a match yet to any of them, but Vesinianne was getting close, as well as Nalus a few times…

Only a few times.

He did go easy on them after all…

"That is enough for now Malefor, we'll train later. There is a matter I have to attend to."

Aurelius said before walking away, heading towards the exit of the dojo. Malefor nodded, the other Guardians walking out towards the end of the dojo as well. He watched them, seeing their forms disappear behind the doors, leaving him alone in the dojo. He took in a deep breath before running off to the doors to. He didn't want to be late for lunch after all… not this time…

The doors opened for him, he entering the central hallway. He could see the Guardians further down the hall, speaking with a few important looking dragons in another chamber. He smirked, turning to the left, seeing another chamber at the end with a pool in it. He could see a figure sitting in the pool, doing something. Smiling, he trotted off in that direction.

He walked up to the fountain, seeing that it was indeed Vesinianne sitting in its waters, her paws raised in the air as she seemed to concentrate on a blob of water. She managed to hold it suspended in the air but after a few seconds it dribbled down into the water. She sighed, trying away, trying to focus on the waters. She was trying to mimic the technique Malefor had just learned… This brought a soft smile to his face, he just sitting back and watching her. She was doing very well, managing to get another blob of water to lift itself from the water and suspend itself in the air. He could see the extreme concentration in her face as she moved her paws over the orb, trying to hold it stable. After only a few seconds it fell apart and plopped back down into the fountain. She grunted, letting out a defeated sigh.

"You know, it takes years to master that. You've really got a good head start on learning it." He said, leaning in closer. She shot up quickly, almost doing a complete 180 in the air before landing back in the water.

"What the, how long have you been there?!" She yelled, backing up a bit. Malefor laughed.

"Only a few minutes." He said. She panted still before relaxing. She laughed a bit too, shaking her head.

"I've been practicing for months actually… off and on… I saw Master Lietus do it earlier, and I wanted to learn. It's… a lot harder than it looks…"

"Oh yeah, don't get me started…" Malefor said, shaking his head. "I can't tell you how many times it burst in my face trying to control that thing, kind of hurt a bit."

Vesinianne laughed at this, bringing a paw up to her mouth.

"Yeah… I can imagine that…" She said with a giggle.

"Hey… it did hurt. You're lucky you're only using water. That doesn't hurt it if pops in your face."

She simply stuck her tongue at him. He shot back with an annoyed face, which only got a giggle from her.

"Anyway, you want to grab some lunch?" She asked.

"Sure!" Malefor responded.

She smiled, leaping out of the fountain and drying herself off. Malefor brought up an arm to shield himself, making her laugh again. He grumbled, shaking his head. Smiling, she motioned towards the end of the hall and started walking. Malefor lowered his arm and started off, not wanting to miss out on that food… training could make you so hungry…

"So you hear all the fuss about that meeting in the city?" She asked as they walked, passing by a few other students.

"Meeting? What do you mean?"

She stopped, facing him.

"You mean you don't know? The meeting between the Realms, Avalar and the Islands!"

"Oh! You mean the Council of the Realms? I completely forgot about that…" He almost hit himself, how could he forget?! Of course the Council of the Realms would be everything anybody talked about, it only happened every 10 years! Every 10 years all the Dragon Elders, the 3 Kings of Avalar and the various representatives of the Islands would meet in an agreed upon location to discuss anything related to affairs between the bodies. Usually, long standing treaties came out of these agreements, or in some cases… war.

The big talk revolved around the Realms and Avalar. Historically, they had not always gotten along. Several wars had broken out between the two, and was chiefly responsible for the construction of the Dragon Temple to the south and the creation of the Order of the Guardians. Many had forgotten the military significance of the Guardians since there hadn't been a major war in nearly 100 years. Relations between the two had improved but… well, there was still some room to improve. Avalonians simply didn't trust the Realms or the Dragons. Understandable… but they weren't the most trustworthy of the bunch either.

Then there were the wild cards… the Islands. The Islands lay south of the Realms and Avalar, and composed of several independent states or tribes. The largest ones sent representatives to these meetings, and it was mainly due to the Islands that this type of meeting was held at all. While the Realms and Avalar were rivals, the Islands were constantly in a state of conflict. This kind of meeting was held in the hopes that they could force alliances and one day possibly unite the Islands. However… that… was a far off dream. While the northern Islands were the most civil, it was the southern Islands that kept everyone on edge. Malefor hoped this meeting would bring some… resolution to the matter… but he wasn't so naïve.

"There's a big buzz about, I think they've heard about you."

"Who? Me?"

"Yes, you. Who else is some mysterious purple dragon who suddenly arrived here out of nowhere." Vesinianne said with a laugh. He shook his head.

"Didn't know I'd be that interesting to them. Where'd you hear this from anyway?"

"Everyone's talking about it. My parents were talking about it to me last night. It's no secret the biggest topic coming out of the Council is you. They're… well…"

"What? They're what?"

"Concerned about you."

"Concerned? About what? I'm not doing anything!"

"No, no, they're just… well, worried they tell me. They've never seen or heard of a dragon like you is all. You know how the Islands are… Even the Avalonians too."

"But… you make it sound as if they think I'm a monster, or something terrible."

"No, no I didn't mean that! I'm sure they're just cautious is all…" She frowned, seeing Malefor look at the ground. She walked closer to him, putting a wing across his back.

"You know… I've always wondered why I'm the way I am…" He looked up at her, both fear and worry in his eyes. She looked back at him, seeing his uneasiness. He broke the gaze, looking back at the ground. "How is it, that no other purple dragon has ever been born… or learn an element as fast as I can… am I just some sort of freak…?"

"No… no… You're just special…"

"Yeah… special alright…"

"Look…" She brought a paw up, resting it on his chest. He brought his gaze back up to her at this, looking into her eyes. He saw… a calming look in her eyes, something soothing. "You are special Malefor, and none of us believe you're dangerous or a threat. You're just Malefor to us, a great friend." Malefor smiled at this, bringing his own paw to rest on her own before lowering it quickly. She also lowered her paw, backing away slightly. Malefor quickly turned away, not seeing the soft blush that had crept onto her face. She chuckled uncomfortably, but managed to look back at Malefor, who did the same.

"Sorry, it's just something that I'm constantly thinking about…" He said.

"It's alright, glad to help."

"Thanks…" She hugged him for a second before leaning back.

"No problem." He smiled at her, she returning it.

"Malefor!" Malefor heard another voice, turning to see Master Aurelius walking over to him.

"Master Aurelius! What is it?" He asked.

"The Council of the Realms, they want to see you." He said, walking over quickly. Malefor gulped before nodding.

"Y-yes…" He said. He turned to see Vesinianne who managed a weak smile, a little embarrassed but trying to be reassuring. Malefor smiled nonetheless, she returning it back to him again. He turned, walking off with Aurelius.

"Why do they want to see me?" He asked as they walked off.

"They're… concerned. The news of a Purple Dragon has them alarmed, some worried. Tales dot all over telling how the Purple Dragon is supposed to be the Vanguard of the New Age. Some… aren't as happy as others."

"What do you mean…?"

"The Council just wants reassurance. They just want to speak to you."

"Alright…" Malefor now felt a little sick. What did he mean, "some aren't as happy as others." What was that supposed to mean? They exited the temple, walking out onto the city streets of Arcantheus. Mushrooms and trees dotted the sides of the road as numerous dragons and other species shuffled past them, going their different routes. Aurelius kept Malefor close, walking along the main route. The Temple Malefor had been training at was the central piece of Arcantheus, but it was at the Temple at the top of the city where the Council itself resided. It was there that they were heading. They climbed numerous flights of stairs, ascending level after level until they arrived at the top. Malefor turned, not having been up here before. From here, he could see the valley that Arcantheus was built in. He could see as buildings and homes were built against mountainsides and hilltops, any place they were able too. Bridges connected outlying areas as they got closer to the central city itself.

Built into the sides of three large mountains, the city was located on a large plateau, which was separated from the rest of the land with a wide chasm. This location was chosen because of how defendable it was. It was said that no army had ever breached Arcantheus' defenses. Malefor could see why… That chasm effectively denied any type of land army access without having to use the bridges or scaling the walls into the city. There wasn't even a need for a moat it was so deep.

He turned back, moving quickly to catch up to Aurelius. Together, they walked onto the steps of the Great Hall. Statues of great dragons served as pillars, holding the ceiling up as they got to the doors. Each dragon was a past Guardian or Elder who did something extraordinary for the realms. One central statue located before the doors was of Arcanthes, the founder of the Realms and the Grand Elder. It was he who lead the dragons here to establish their kingdom so many generations ago… The city held his namesake in honor of him. There were statues of him all over the Temple where he trained, he knew so much about him.

They reached the two double doors that lead deeper in, the two guards standing on either side stepping away and opening the doors for them. Aurelius nodded to each of them as they entered, proceeding quickly down the hall. Malefor followed, but couldn't help but be in awe of the ornate structure before him. The halls were carved with marble and other stones, solid gold lining some of the stones and pillars. It was so beautiful…

"Stay close Malefor." Malefor snapped from his gaze, quickly moving to follow Aurelius. Several dragons dressed in ornate or elaborate garbs walked past them, moving throughout the various hallways that branched off from theirs. He wondered just how far these halls went, or how many chambers there were.

"Master Aurelius, there you are." Thaklor, the Earth Guardian as he stood by another pair of massive double doors.

"Thaklor, how're things in there?"

"So far, it's hard to tell. They're demanding to see Malefor, and they won't proceed any further until they do."

"We need to get him in there then…" Aurelius turned to face Malefor, he nodding to him.

"I'm ready Master." He said simply to Aurelius. He smiled and nodded to Malefor before turning to Thaklor. The Guardian in turn brought his massive claws up, opening the doors for them. The doors quickly slid open, revealing a massive chamber beyond. Inside the chamber sat a massive dome, pillars lining a circular room. On the far side, sat five dragons, presiding over a large group of delegates from every corner of the realms, all gathered in the center surrounding a large pedestal which Malefor guessed was used to address the room and the elders.

It was… well, he was in awe…

As he entered, Aurelius lead him past each of the delegates, all watching him. All eyes were on Malefor, unblinking, all watching. Malefor gulped, not sure what to think at this moment. Aurelius lead him to the pedestal, facing the elders on the far wall. In the center pedestal, Malefor could see that the dragon was very much like the dragon who had been there when he first arrived in the city. That dragon was watching him, possibly more then any of the others if that was possible. He could feel his eyes moving across his body like a laser, inspecting each inch of him.

Many of the delegates rushed over, pushing their way through the crowd to get a chance to see Malefor. At that moment, it felt like the entire world was watching him.

"Aurelius, we are pleased you were able to make it and present us this young dragon. Tell us young dragon, what is your name?" The lead Elder said while looking at Malefor, never breaking his gaze from him.

"Malefor, sir." Malefor managed to say. He wasn't even sure if he said it. His body went through the motions… he was just so nervous at this moment.

"Very good. Master Aurelius, tell us, what has young Malefor been up to during his stay here in the Dragon City of Arcantheus?"

"He has been training and training hard within our Temple. We are teaching him all we know, him hopes that he is indeed to become the great Vanguard of our people and the realms. This dragon will lead us into a new, golden age." Aurelius said, addressing the entire crowd.

"How do we know the dragons will not squander this gift…?" One delegate asked.

"We know what we have, and we are not going to disappoint."

"Why is it the dragons get this mighty gift, so you can dominate us more?" Another asked.

"We have no desire to control your Island representative. We only wish to create a better world for our children. We believe in Malefor, we can do that."

"If he is ever to represent all of the realms, he should be allowed to train in other regions, and learn all the techniques. He should be allowed to travel the realms, not stay cooped up within the temple here in Arcantheus."

"I understand your concerns and I believe that would be a great idea to help Malefor train, but right now he is still young and we have yet to teach him all we dragons know."

"If he's cooped up in the capital here, how do we know you're not just training him for war?"

"Like I said, we have no desire to dominate any of you or your islands. We only wish the best for Malefor." He said while looking down to Malefor. Malefor looked back up at him before looking around at the crowd. He could see in front of him three kings, a faun, a cheetah and a mole. They were the kings of Avalar! He had heard so much about them… now they were here, standing before him.

"Well Malefor, do you have something to say to them?" The elder asked, snapping Malefor's attention back to the situation. He gulped, nodding to the elder before stepping forward on the pedestal.

"I… I accept this humble honor and will train hard. I've learned a lot in these few months here with the Guardians and I hope that I can continue to learn and train and one day embrace this Vanguard role. I do not wish to disappoint anyone." Did he really just say that? Oh man, he could feel his lips move, his mouth form these words… but he could feel his heart throbbing the entire time, his blood surging through his veins as he couldn't think of anything else at the moment.

"Very well said." Aurelius said to him, smiling. Malefor managed a smile back up to him, still feeling his nerves exploding within him.

"I look forward to seeing what kind of dragon you turn out to be, young Malefor. Aurelius, what is the next step for his training?" The lead elder said, looking at Malefor still, finally breaking his gaze to look at Aurelius.

"We intend to keep training here at the temple within Arcantheus." Aurelius said.

"I think it is time Aurelius to show Malefor to the Dragon Temple to the south. I believe training amongst all the Guardians and with other gifted individuals would give him a great boost."

"I don't know if he's ready for that elder."

"From what I've seen he is ready for the next phase. He's learned his first element, and now is ready to receive more advanced elemental abilities."

"As you wish Elder." Aurelius said, turning to Malefor.

"Looks like you're going to be moving again soon." He said.

"Where to?" Malefor asked.

"To the Dragon Temple to the south of here, near the city of Warfang. You've heard about it before. Time for your training to escalate." Aurelius said before turning and walking back out, ushering for Malefor to follow. Malefor leapt down from the pedestal, following Aurelius out of the chamber. The delegates continued to mutter, talk to each other as all eyes were still on him.

"When am I going?"

"Tomorrow morning. Ready your things, we'll head out first thing tomorrow."

Malefor stopped in his tracks, feeling a pang of sorrow.

"Tomorrow…?"

"Yes, will that be a problem?" Aurelius turned, looking at Malefor. Aurelius carried a bit of… concern, even annoyance. This was really the first time Malefor could see this in his face.

"No Master…" Malefor said, looking at the ground.

"Good, let's go then." Aurelius turned quickly, walking back to the temple. Malefor sighed before following. He was angry for sure, at him he wasn't sure of that yet. Did he feel the Elder was meddling in his training plans? Was that annoying him? He sure seemed pretty quick to have Malefor go to the temple… Malefor didn't even think he was ready. Sure he had learned so much in these past few months he… he just didn't feel that he was ready for the next step.

It wasn't long before they reached the Temple again, entering through a large side passage. While walking Malefor saw Vesinianne sitting on a nearby bench, watching him walk up. She smiled when he got closer, leaping down onto the ground and trotting over to him.

"Hey Malefor! How'd it go?" She asked.

He only looked at the ground, not answering. He looked up at Aurelius who was still walking towards the main dojo. Without saying a word he went to follow, leaving Vesinianne sitting there, silent as she watched him leave. She frowned, lowering her head before walking away, joining a mass of students who walked through the halls, going to their sessions.

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

Malefor sat, looking up at the sky. It wasn't often that he came here, came to the gardens near the edge of the temple. He only came here when he just… wanted to escape it all. Tonight it was a very clear night, only a few clouds out. Stars dotted the sky, forming various patterns. Malefor always enjoyed looking up at the stars… he enjoyed making pictures out of the stars, it soothed him.

Tonight was a great night to see both of the moons too. They were so large on this night… and were slowly getting closer to each other. The Night of Eternal Darkness was approaching, Aurelius had talked about it. Though… it wasn't really a big deal. In the old days, this was a night to be terrified… the forces of darkness would come on this night… Now? It was just another festival for the young ones to play in. The actual cycle of the moon's alignment was actually pretty erratic. Malefor thought of it as random, though the older dragons seemed to know a pattern in it. It was to happen this year, then again in 3 years, then it wouldn't come again for almost another 50. That was such a long time… he guessed it just made sense to some people.

"Malefor?" A new voice rang through the gardens, prompting Malefor to turn, seeing Vesinianne walking out from the temple and into the gardens.

"Oh, hey Vesinianne. I didn't know you'd be here." Malefor said, smiling as she walked up.

"Neither did I. You know what time it is?" She asked, looking up at the moons.

"Yeah I know. It's the perfect time to be here." He said, looking at the moon as well. She laughed.

"Yeah, guess you're right." She conceded.

"So, what brings you here?" He asked. She turned to him, her smile having vanished.

"To check on you. How did it go out there…?"

"It… I…" He looked at the ground, sighing softly.

"I am to be the Vanguard of our Age…"

"That's great! I told you it would be alright…"

"They want my training to be escalated…"

"What do you mean?"

"I… I am to be leaving for the Dragon Temple tomorrow morning."

She sat silent, opening her mouth to say something but quickly closing her mouth, looking at the ground too.

"I see…" She finally said.

"Yeah…"

"When will you be back…?"

"I… I don't know. They were talking about sending me all over the realms, visiting every region and every people to learn their secrets so I could become a true Vanguard… it may be years…"

"I… see…" He could hear a break in her voice, it drifting off before she even finished. Her head drifted up softly, a smile on it.

"I guess that's good… for you to be taking on this role… I know you can do it." He returned the smile, though it feeling fake more then anything.

"Thanks… I just…"

"You what?"

"I'm going to miss you… miss the guys… this place." He looked up, seeing the two moons again. "It's become like a home to me…"

She brought a wing over him, comforting him.

"I'm sure you'll be back. And we'll be waiting here for you. I know you'll be great one day Malefor, I just know it."

He turned to her, his smile becoming more genuine.

"Thanks… I… I'll try my hardest. I'll come back one day, and I'll make damn sure I'm the best I can be."

"That's all anybody can ask of you." She said, leaning more into him without realizing it. He hadn't realized it either, he himself bringing his wing up onto her as well. It took a few moments for them to realize it, they both immediately retrieving their wings and looking away, embarrassed.

It was a little bit before any of them saying anything, she finally breaking the silence.

"I'll miss you too Malefor, you've been such a good friend." She said, relaxing a bit. This was enough to make him relax too, letting out a soft sigh.

"You too… I…. I'd probably still be cooped up in the dojo if it hadn't been for you and the others…"

"You're welcome." She said, giggling softly. He smirked, shaking his head.

"Thanks."

She leaned in, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't mention it…" She said softly. This made him go wide-eyed and lock up, only unfreezing when she giggled. He was still blushing but he suppressed it.

"Just make sure you come back, we'll be here for you." She said.

"I will…" He turned, looking back up at the stars. She turned, looking at the stars as well.

"It's so beautiful…" She said, looking at all the dots that lined the sky. They could a brilliant celestial aura that drifted amongst the stars, creating a scene of wonder and beauty. They both looked up at it, seeing the two moons light up the area.

"You know, you could just get lost like this. Looking up… It's pretty amazing." Malefor said, not taking his eyes off the sky for a second.

"I know what you mean… I wonder what it's like…"

"What do you mean?"

"What it's like, going to each star, what's over there… I've always wondered what's out there…" She said, tilting her head slightly. Malefor chuckled a bit at that.

"I don't think you'd find anything… They're so small and far away, don't think you could ever go there…"

"Oh, you just need a little faith. One day, I want to go out there, to the stars." Malefor broke his gaze finally, looking at her. He swore, she had the brightest smile ever, just looking up at the sky.

"You can't be serious."

"I am serious… I want to go out there one day, and nobody can stop me."

He shook his head softly, looking back up with his own smile.

"Well, be sure to save a seat. Now you've got me curious." He said.

"Deal." She said, giggling a bit. Malefor sighed contently, not wanting to break his gaze from the stars, or even think of what was going to happen in the morning. For now, he was at peace. He was at peace with his duties, with his friends and his life. He wished it could always be like this…

But he knew it wasn't that easy.

Dysnc…

Complete

Reconnecting…

* * *

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

September 30, 2204 [UER Military Calendar]

1:34 PM [local time] (1334 Hr MLTY)

Cave within the Mushroom Forest

* * *

It had been almost a week now since Malefor had arrived at the cave, and had been recovering from his injury. He hadn't gotten much chance to move much, but thanks to the herbs and the food Eatherine was giving him, it was feeling much better. He was able to get up and walk earlier and he felt confident that he was now able to move unsupported on his own. Eatherine had been... well, gracious enough to give him food. Gracious in other aspects, not too much.

They hadn't spoken much, only a few times here and there... but he could tell something was troubling her. When he asked, she would just yell him down, and walk away. It probably had to do with whatever she was talking about with the person who had wronged her. He sighed. Only time would tell, though he knew it was coming soon.

Another thing that had been on his mind, these memories... they kept creeping in every night, reminding him of a past he could not remember. Just how long ago were those times? A year ago, few years? He looked himself over, his form and build a little bigger then in the memories... couldn't be any more then 3 years difference between them.

He wondered where his old friends were, or what they were doing. He hoped they were fine, though it seemed that where they were was much better off then where he was now. This place, this forest... something was wrong. It seemed as if some great event had happened and now everyone was in a state of recovering. This... Dark Master? The dragon back there, Cynder, kept calling him the Dark Master, but there was just no way. He would never do that... nothing on the level of what he had heard.

Whoever the Dark Master was, he must've been a troubled individual, one who had been pushed to the very brink... with only malice and hatred in his heart. He... he cared about people, there was just no way. This Cynder was mistaken.

Malefor heard a sound, above him. It must've been Eatherine, doing whatever it was that she did up there. He grunted, slowly standing up. He walked over to the rocks he had see her climb numerous times, slowly making his way over each rock. Carefully, he placed his injured leg against a rock, checking to see if it would hold. So far it did... so he preceded up. He placed his claws at the top of the ledge, peering over.

The chamber above was a little larger then the one he had been in. It extended far back with a small pond occupying the rear of the cave. There was an opening in the cave, facing the Mushroom forest. From there you had a pretty good view of the surrounding areas, and you could even see a city in the background. It was also pretty well shielded, a mushroom obscuring its existence from the outside.

There, in front of the hole sat Eatherine. She seemed to be holding something, but just what it was he could not say. He watched her curiously, she seeming to be stroking the object softly and lovingly. She had a fondness to this object... that was for sure. He got a better look at it now... it being an arrowhead of some kind? It was definitely a talon shaped rock. He could see her eyes, they low and in deep thought as she looked at this object. She seemed to be remembering something... He wondered what she was remembering, kind of feeling a little jealous that she could recall any memory that she wanted... but he could only remember what was selectively revealed to him in his dreams.

His foot slipped a bit, kicking a rock that rolled to the base of the chamber. It let off an echo that startled Eatherine, she quickly turning to see Malefor and hiding the object she had been holding.

"Hey! How long have you been there?!" She asked, almost in a panicked yell.

"I just got here! I was just trying out my leg, seeing if I could climb up..." He lied, trying to calm her down. This only seemed to annoy her a bit more, seeming to have touched on something.

"You liar... " She shook her head, walking over to a sack of some sorts and setting the object inside.

"Guess that little rock means a lot to you..." He said lowly, expecting her to snap back at him.

"It does... mean a lot to me. It brings back a lot of fond memories." She admitted, not turning to face him as she closed the flap to the little sack.

"Memories of loved ones?"

She merely nodded.

"It must be great... to remember whatever you wanted... what's it like?"

"Not as good as you'd think. Not all these memories are great." She said, turning to face him again. "Still don't remember a thing?" She asked.

"I'm remembering more and more... I know that I came from a village in southern Artisans, and that I was training in Arcantheus for a while."

"Southern Artisans, that's where I'm from too. Don't think I ever saw you there amongst the Lower Ring."

"Ever visit a village named Argus?" Her eyes went wide at this.

"That... place was destroyed years ago. Burned to the ground by the Dark Master himself long ago. I didn't know any trace of it was left..." She said, a little astonished by his claim.

"What? No... I remember the village as clear as day. It was a great place, there were no worries, nothing about this Dark Master either. I don't know what you're talking about."

She continued to look him over again, starting to become really confused.

"Then you said you trained at the ancient Dragon Capitol...? That's also impossible... that place is just a wreck now. My parents spoke of it being a place that raiders and gangs ruled, a death zone."

"No, I remember it, it was fine! My friends, Vesinianne, Nalus and Ulric are there, and they're fine too!" Malefor said, astonished at her claims. They were fine! He knew it!

"If they're there, then they're dead. Anything north of here is death. There used to be life there 3 years ago but after the Dark Master returned, everything was destroyed by his armies. There is nothing north of here."

Malefor growled.

"You're a liar..." He said. I saw that place, it was fine! There was nothing wrong there! So what if she said 3 years ago it was fine... he knew nothing had happened!

"Suit yourself, but your friends are probably dead now, and you'd be too if you had stayed there..." She said turning around to look out of the hole again. Malefor sighed, calming himself down before walking over to join her.

"You sure these memories aren't just ones from long ago? Another person perhaps?" She asked, looking at him.

"No... I know these memories are true... They're so clear, so vivid. And my friends... Vesinianne... I know they're alright."

She turned to him, seeing him looking down at his paw, his eyelids drooping as he recalled his friends.

"Sounds like you had an attachment to her."

"She was a good friend... I just wish I knew what happened to her..."

She smirked but it turned into a frown, looking out once more. Malefor joined her, lowering his paw to the ground.

"So who's this you're going after anyway?"

"I'm looking for an Ape, who when I was younger killed my family."

"An Ape?"

"Yes, they were soldiers for the Dark Master. This one in particular was high ranking, and when he found me and my parents years ago up north, he ordered them butchered before my very eyes." She turned to him, malice raging deep in her eyes. "I heard he had escaped the fate of many of the Apes that served the Dark Master, and is how in hiding in Warfang. I'd like to pay him a visit..."

Malefor gulped, hearing the hatred in her words.

"And then...?"

"We'll see what happens after that." She turned back to look at the city in the distance. "I'm going to head out tomorrow morning for Warfang and find him. You'll help me find him... and confront him."

Malefor didn't have much choice in the manner, he was in debt to her for her medical treatment and the food...

"Alright... I'll go with you first thing in the morning."

"Good, rest up then." She walked over to the pond, drinking from it. Malefor sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.

End of Chapter 04

* * *

-[]-

Open Chat link secure channel SIERRA_10

Link Established

D: Hey, I know this is really last minute but I did find some intel reports on that planet you were talking about

-Let's hear it

D: When I tried to access the files I kept getting walled out, seems the system is sealed pretty tight

-And?

D: Well, I found several entries, the most notable coming from a black op that was run in 2189, apparently on this world

-What? In '89? Did we even know the world existed back then?

D: Apparently UNCI did, there's detailed reports coming from here, including a whole other network of files and databases related to this black op. There was also a CIA document dating from 2015 related to this world, that file is impenetrable, I think they yanked it from the network.

-If it's pulled from the network, there's nothing we can do about it. We might be able to find a physical copy of it though in records, maybe H can help us with that. Any specific names to be looking for?

D: Just the keyword "Troy"

-What about this black op and these databases? Have you found anything interesting about them?

D: I managed to crack the encryptions on a few databases and I'm finding references to an operation being run out of a UNCI/military base on Desmal and Earth. There are also some sort of experiments going on, though I need more time to crack the encryption on these files.

-Do it, I think we're onto something here

D: Alright I'll look into it, I'll need some way to infiltrate the network at Desmal though for better results. There may be more files there we can sift through.

-For now we'll have to settle for what we can dig up here. I'll search the physical databases and keep monitoring these data pulls.

D: Right, closing connection

Link Terminated

[Connection Closed]

Author's Comment: Hey guys, NewLegend1 here, hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. If you guys like it, please leave a review so I know if you guys like it or not. I appreciate any criticism =D. I am also thinking of launching another series here on FF, another Spyro fanfiction. I have concept art on my deviantART gallery if you guys are interested in checking it out. Username's the same as here, NewLegend1.


	5. Sins of the Past

Chapter 05: Sins of the Past

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

October 1, 2204 [UER Military Calander]

12:32 PM [Local Time](1232 Hr MLTY)

Dragon City of Warfang, Market District

* * *

Malefor walked, looking around at the absolute plethora of sights and sounds that was Warfang. This place was massive, just like Arcantheus from his dreams! There were all sorts of species here, anthro cheetahs, squirrels otters, moles, some lizards and dragons! Many looked out of place, almost like they were refugees. Refugees from the Dark Master perhaps? He sighed. From what Eatherine had told him, the Dark Master had carved a wide swath through the realms, heading west then south from his fortress in the mountains. This happened 3 years ago, when Malefor surmised he left the city for the Temple. But… her story still didn't match up. According to her, the dragon city was occupied yes, but had been ravaged by war and was nothing like Warfang. Malefor remembered the city being grand, peaceful and no signs of war being anywhere. The academy was up, the dragon armies were powerful….

Something wasn't right.

Then… he had a dream last night… of course though, he couldn't remember it. Of all the things to forget now, he forgot a dream. It seemed very important to him though. He knew it was of something dire, something that had been on his mind for years… it felt like more years then he could even remember. Was that possible? Regardless it was very important and he felt that Eatherine's recollection of her family jogged this memory of his. It had to be related.

Damn it… why was it so hard to remember? Why couldn't he just… recall a memory at will? There was so much it seemed, so much missing. All of it though was out of reach, seeming to rely on other events to jog them. It was so frustrating!

"Malefor, keep up!" He heard Eatherine say to him. He looked up, giving a quick burst of speed to catch up to her. He swore he saw a few people around them freeze at the name and dart their eyes. Though, they didn't seem to find what they were looking for. How odd.

She said the Ape she was tracking was here, in Warfang. Where though was the big question. She lead him through many of the streets to the most crowded city section, the markets. All around them there were makeshift tents and vendors set up, selling everything from food to weapons and armor. It reminded him of the market in his hometown north of here.

All around he could see signs of war… burned structures, collapsed buildings and even holes in the walls. There were also little metal cylinders scattered everywhere, though Malefor had no clue what they were. They looked to be made of bronze, and they littered the ground. There was also a large metal behemoth back in a courtyard they passed up earlier. It looked to be some massive mechanical device that sat on two large tracks which looked like they moved the massive beast. On top sat another large piece of metal with a pipe that extended out. Malefor had no clue what it was used for, but it was obviously destroyed, blackened by fire and pieces of the metal torn off and even melted. It had been pushed to the side of the wall, and there were a few Moles who stood atop it, examining it.

They continued on, Eatherine going into a dark alleyway. The alley carved between several different buildings, going up and down as not all of the streets were level with one another.

"So do you know where this guy is? Are you just looking around…?" Malefor asked Eatherine, who was darting ahead excitedly.

"I've got a friend here in Warfang who saw him. He came from up north like me, but with his family. He's been helping me find this Ape for a while now… but I need you to help me when we find him."

"So when you meet him, what're you going to do?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the ground.

"That's simple, I'm going to kill him. Kill him like he did to my parents."

Malefor stopped too, his eyes going wide.

No, no, something about this wasn't right, wasn't right at all. His dream? Was it connected? No, something was off here and Malefor could feel it. What was it though?

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Malefor asked, stepping closer to her. She looked up, anger in her eyes.

"Why wouldn't it? I've been a damned orphan for almost half of my life because of that bastard and I'm not going to let anything stop me from taking my revenge…" She looked at him, almost sending a message to him as her eyes were filled with a deep malice. Malefor backed off a bit, moving to a defensive posture. She accepted his retreat, turning and once again walking forward. Malefor sighed… this… no, this wasn't good.

They continued down the pathway, weeving through a few more dark corners before arriving at another street. There was a red dragon there, about their age. He sat near an empty cart, looking around at the street as several people passed by him.

"Hey! Flame!" Eatherine said, walking over to him.

"Eatherine! There you are!" The red dragon, Flame, turned to face them, going over to hug Eatherine. Eatherine returned the hug, having a look of graditude and happiness crawl onto her face. They obviously had a history with one another.

"I'm glad to see you made it to Warfang, did you run into trouble?" He asked.

"A little… though not so much now that the Dark Master is gone. How's your family?"

"They're good, Mother is ill but Father is tending to her over in a refugee area. They were really worried about you. Mother asked why you didn't take our invitation to travel with us."

"I needed to do this alone… I… I just needed some space…" She said.

"I understand… who's your friend?" He asked, leaing his body to get a better look at Malefor. Malefor just remembered his scales were a pitch black from that damned slip from the swamp.

"Oh, he's a friend of mine I picked up in the swamps. His name's Malefor."

Flame's eyes immediately went wide as his eyes did a quick one over of Malefor before returning to their normal calm look.

"Your mother didn't like you very much, did she?" He commented.

"Excuse me?" Malefor asked, a little offended. Flame chuckled a bit.

"Don't mind him, Malefor, this is Flame my friend from up north.

"Pleased to meet you Malefor, sorry about that." Flame said, extending his paw.

"It's fine." Malefor said, taking his paw.

"So… you a refugee like Eatherine? Where were you from originally?" He asked.

"I was from Argus originally, in Artisan's, but then I went to Arcantheus before coming to the temple."

"Jeez, you've been everywhere haven't you? I hear Arcantheus was hit hard when the Dark Master swept through. Ignitus put up a good fight though I hear."

"Do you know what it's like there right now?" Malefor asked, hoping he knew anything on the fate of his friends.

"Um… no, we passed through there during the hieght of Malefor's assault, hoping to get to Warfang before his armies caught up to us. I have no idea what its like there now. I'm just glad Ignitus was there to hold him back… we'd have never made it to Warfang without him."

"Did you say Ignitus?" Malefor asked.

"Yeah, he's one of the Guardians. Well, was I hear. He didn't survive the final assault."

Malefor had met a Ignitus before, and a Terrador. He met them back when he was still at his hometown. So strange… he wondered just how common that name was.

"Seems like it was for nothing when the Dark Master came back…" Eatherine said, annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah but Spyro kicked his scalie hide, had help from those… allies of his. Can't remember what father called them but they were like Apes, just without hair."

"Speaking of Apes, have you seen the Ape I'm after?" Eatherine asked, diverting the conversation.

"You sure you really want to go through with this? I mean, there are so many other things you can do to reconcile this. You don't have to do this." Flame said, trying to convince her otherwise.

"No, this is for my family. I will do this."

Flame sighed, relenting.

"Alright… I did see him, he's here in the city. He's hiding out nearby in a housing district that was ravaged during the Dark Master's assault earlier this year. Not many people go there, and he's trying to lay low for fear of what some people might do to him. Look for the three story housing structure with the caved in dome, he's in there. I still think you should rethink this though."

Eatherine, nodded, planting a kiss on his cheeks which made him blush softly but he quickly hid it.

"Thank you Flame… " She said before ushering Malefor to follow. Malefor did just that, darting by Flame as he sat there, watching them run off.

They ran for a bit down the road, heading to where Flame had said. As they went, they could tell the fighting here was intense as there was another one of those metal behemoths turned over on its side near the end of the road near a large crater. Buildings were collapsed everywhere, though Malefor could see something on the other side, a four story housing structure with a caved in dome!

"I see it…" Eatherine said, stopping in the center of the courtyard.

"He's right you know…" Malefor said, watching the building as he walked next to her. She growled, turning to him.

"I let him off because he's a good friend of mine, but you don't know what I saw, what I went through. You don't know the pain of watching your family die in front of you… this bastard has to pay… and he will…"

Malefor turned to her. He was about to say something when he felt a spike of pain in his head, bolting throughout his body, making him bring up a paw to grasp his ailing head.

He could see… something… an image.

An image of… his mother?

Why was he seeing this? Why now? Was she ok? Did something happen?

Oh no… oh God no…

Malefor remembered. He remembered his dream now.

His eyes went wide, the dark revelation sending shockwaves through his body as he shook his head softly, mouthing the words "no, no".

Eatherine looked at him, seeing his strange reactions.

"What the hell's your problem now?" She asked. He shook his head, disbanding the terrible thoughts.

"What will you do… after you kill him?" He asked, clenching his eyes still.

She looked back at the dome before looking down at the ground.

"I'm not sure… I… never thought of what I'd do after. I just know of what I need to do now."

"Yes… but what will you do after? From what I've heard, this has been a goal of yours, a goal for many years. When you finish it, what will you do then?" Malefor asked, again, letting his paw drift from his head down to the ground.

"I'll… I don't know! What does it matter to you? You're going to help me do this or so help me I'll kill you too!" He could tell her anger was rising, but he was not about to stop here.

"And then? After all this killing? What will you do then? Will you go your whole life like this? Will you continue on with a clean mind, or will it just continue?"

She didn't answer, only gritting her teeth.

"This is important damn it! You speak of getting revenge but this won't stop here! How do you know you'll be able to go to bed tonight, and then the night after that and that without this being on your mind? It won't end here!"

She finally snapped, leaping on him and skidding down several feet before coming to a stop.

"I've had enough! You won't stop me from doing this! You don't know what I've seen! I won't let this bastard live another moment, it's an insult to my parents memory!"

Malefor looked up at her with a stern face, a bit of the black slip chipping off of his scales, revealing some purple underneath.

"Is this what your parents would have wanted?" He asked. She growned, grabbing him and throwing him several feet away.

"I'm going to do this, and you can't stop me!" She yelled before taking off towards the building.

"Eatherine, wait!" He yelled, running after her.

She darted through the building seperating them from the tower, a small tunnel connecting the two courtyards. Malefor pursued, avoiding the fallen debris that littered the streets. The tower sat just in front of them, looking like a sad sight looking down at them. It looked like it once housed many different creatures, many different families. Now it sat here, in ruins.

She broke through the double doors that was the entrance, skidding to a halt near the rotted stairs. Malefor trailed right after her, forcing her up the stairs. They climbed up, going up level after level until reaching the forth floor, which was a complete disaster. Parts of the walls had fallen off, sitting on the streets below. Wooden planks looked like they were about to give out beneath their feet, crumble down onto the floors below. There, in a room to their left was a chair that sat in the center, pointing out towards a collapsed wall. In the chair sat an Ape, who wore tethered rags and a scar over his right eye. He looked to be blind in that eye.

"You!" Eatherine screamed upon seeing him, panting from the run.

Malefor caught up to her, stopping right behind her as she stood there, staring at the Ape. He turned to them, though his eyes not following. No, Malefor was wrong. He was blind in both eyes.

"It seems I have visitors. Not many dragons venture up here, not after what transpired here." He said before looking out to the crumbled wall.

"Do you know who I am?!" She screamed, anger flowing through her.

"My vision is not what it used to be young one… I'm sorry I cannot recognize your voice."

"Of course you can't… I'm Eatherine and 7 years ago you murdered my family you bastard. I've come to claim my revenge…"

The Ape seemed unmoved by this, only closing his eyes and tilting his head down.

"Hey! Aren't you listening to me?!" She screamed.

"Your mother, and your father. Those are two dragons I remember. Did you know, there was a time before all of this, when Apes used roam the streets of this and many cities… hand in hand with dragons?"

"What the hell is that supposed to do with any of this?!"

"Young one patience escapes you. I'm sure Bandrai would have taught you more then this…"

"Don't you dare mention my father's name again you piece of shit…"

"I remember Bandrai, he was a friend of mine. I was friends with your mother also."

"A friend?! You sick bastard! My father would NEVER friend a beast like you!"

"Your father was a great dragon, one I will not forget…"

"Shut up!"

"We met, long ago in a place called Mandobar, north of here. It was before they went to elemental training in Arcantheus. There they grew up together… became mates and were planning on having a daughter. They had a daughter but her egg was destroyed when the Dark Master launched his reign of terror through the realms… I helped them escape the Dark Master, but I was not fast enough to save their egg… They fled north, into Artisan's to hide while the other dragons fought against the Dark Master. It took many years but they prevailed… and they once again tried to have a child. Many years would pass before it was once again possible. Then, on the year of the dragon they had an egg, you. I tried to help protect them against the Apes, who so hastily allied themselves with the Dark Master, and continued to do his bidding… I never wanted any part of it… I wanted to live a peaceful life… I was almost successful until Gual threatened to kill my family to force mine and several others to join their ranks… Something big was coming and I didn't know what it was… Little did I know the raid on the Dragon Temple was imminant and they were going to try to bring back the Dark Master… "

Eatherine was fuming through his speech, but Malefor could tell throughout it all, she was starting to calm her nerves, listening to him tell his tale.

Malefor listened intently too, wanting to hear more about this Dark Master.

"Before then, I was ordered into Artisan's where I ran into your mother and father, who by then had a young dragoness… I tried to help them, get them out any way I could. My supperior wouldn't have it, threatening me with death unless I killed them… I… made the most selfish dicision I have ever made… choosing my life over your family… for that I am sorry…"

"You're a goddamn liar… you killed them in cold blood! I saw it! I was there!"

"I made a terrible dicision… one which haunts me to this day… I… betrayed them… for my own sakes. I left you an orphan, and for that I can understand your anger and resentment…"

"Resentment?! I want to kill you just as you killed my parents! I want to make you feel the same way you made them feel!" She leapt forward, placing her body against him with her claws planted on his throat, ready to strike.

"Wait! Eatherine!" Malefor shouted, running over. She turned, baring a claw towards him.

"Don't come any closer! You will stay out of this! This is between me and him!" She yelled.

"You don't have to do this! Think about it!"

"I HAVE thought about it, I've thought about it every night that I am not with my family, every night I've spent running and hiding in the dark! He is the one to answer to that and him alone!" She screamed, tears coming from her eyes as she sat atop him, claws beared against him. He just sat there, silent as he closed his eyes.

She turned back to him, using one paw to grab at his face as she brought it towards hers.

"My only regret will be that you won't be able to see my deliver the final blow, like you forced me to do when my parents were killed…"

"That is something I lost, when I tried to flee the Dark Master's grasp after what happened to your family. It is the price I have had to live with all these years for what I did to your family. I have lived with this, every day of my life ever since."

"Enough of your stories, you will die!"

"Eatherine! Think about this! Is this what your parents would have wanted? Would they have wanted you to escape and live only to spend your entire life hunting him down? Wouldn't they have wanted a better future for you?" Malefor ran over, standing at the foot of the chair as she held tightly onto the Ape.

"They would have wanted me to take revenge…"

"You don't know that! What would they have wanted? Would they smile down on you now, seeing their baby girl about to become a murderer? Would they have wanted their baby to have this on her mind every night for the rest of your life?"

Eatherine hesitated, tears strolling down her face as she gritted her teeth, the words eating into her.

"They would have wanted you to be free, live a life without war or death! This isn't the path your parents would have wanted… they would have wanted their baby girl to go on… grow up with a family and never have to deal with what they did, don't you think that?"

She still sat there, unmoving as she clenched her eyes, still holding her talons to his throat.

"There's still a chance, you can step down now, clear your concious and begin anew. You don't have to do it this way, you can let this chapter of your life finally come to a close. You do this, and it'll haunt you forever. You can't let your past define who you are, you have to define yourself... It's the future your parents would have wanted for you…"

Eatherine tucked her head low, sniffing as she clenched tighter onto the Ape.

"Damn it!" She yelled before leaping off of him, settling on the floor and almost falling onto Malefor. Malefor caught her, helping her regain herself as her face was wet from tears. Her entire form was shaking, as if a tight burden had been lifted from her and now her body was without guidence, without purpose. He held onto her tightly, holding her up.

"It's alright… it's alright… it's over now." He said softly, holding her as she sobbed.

The Ape let out a low sigh, turning his head to him.

"Your heart is pure young one. It is unlike your kind to perform such acts like these onto me. Tell me, why did you urge her to spare me?" He asked.

"It wasn't right, to kill like that… I've… seen what can become of that… It's not a burden you want."

"What is your name young one?"

"It's Malefor sir."

Malefor could see a look of surprise and astonishment on the Apes face before it relaxed, a chuckle crawling onto it.

"What irony." He said lowly.

"What's that?"

"Nothing young one… nothing at all." He said softly, looking back over the city, which was now covered by a black storm cloud. Malefor sighed softly, turning back towards Eatherine who sobbed in his arms.

"Come on… let's get you home... I… I remembered something new earlier… I'd like to share it…" He said softly, leading her back down the stairs and towards the cave.

* * *

October 1, 2204

3:32 PM [Local Time](1532 Hr MLTY)

Ruins below the Dragon CIty of Gale

* * *

Spyro landed, a soft breeze hitting against him as he once again stood within the ruins. The ruins sat in a deep sink hole, one mile below the surface. He could see as rocks continued to tumble from above, crashing down onto the ruins that were apparently older then the rocks falling onto them. He never got to extensively explore these ruins the last time he came... but he knew there was something he needed to seek out here. Something he had spoken to last time, and he hoped it was still here...

He trotted through the ruins, seeing the crashed wreckage of the human made Nighthawk that had smashed down into the rocks earlier this year, shot down by their adversaries the Lakadors. He wondered how they were doing, if their war was ever resolved. The two forces here made amends, fought side by side with Spyro to take down the Dark Master as he threatened all of them and their homes with the darkness that lay sealed inside the Final Solution. He hoped that their truce carried on beyond the realms, but he wasn't so naive to believe that to be completely true.

The fires and smoke that once rose from the crippled aircraft had long died away, leaving a scorched hull with metal bending in several different ways. It was a marvel of engineering, to have something like this stay afloat without any sort of magic. He had always been curious as to how the humans had made things such as these, but right now something else called his attention.

He continued down, walking along the silent streets as ruins of structures lay all around, built by a civilization Spyro did not know. He finally found the entrance to the inner ruins, going even deeper in. He once again found himself in the underground tunnels that ran the length of the ruins, leading to the central chamber where the voice lay...

He entered the chamber, the dimly lit room on a tilt as the entire foundation had been shattered, a bit of water dripping down from the cieling and running towards a small puddle off to the side.

"Hello? Hello? I came here to speak to you, the Chronicler sent me."

Nothing.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Still, nothing. Spyro sighed, looking around the room. Was there something he missed? Was there something he needed to do?

"Tell me my son, why have you returned?" Suddenly Spyro heard the voice, he heard it reverberate throughout the room, bouncing off every wall and entering Spyro's head with such power, it was intimidating…

"I… I came here because the Chronicler sent me… I came because of the visions…" Spyro said.

"Visions of darkness, visions of Malefor…"

"Have you been sending me them?"

"Yes young one, I had wanted to send you a warning, an omen of what was about to transpire."

"What do you mean, what is going to transpire?"

"Tell me young dragon, do you fear Malefor?"

Spyro thought for a second. He... he did fear him. He wasn't sure why, he had beaten him twice, but he was still afriad of him...

"Yes..."

"Why?"

"I... I don't know."

"Young dragon, I can sense many things within you. You fear what Malefor is, not him himself. You fear becoming him. Is this true?"

"Yes..." He had nailed it. It was the same point Ignitus had brought up and it was true. Even Ignitus's assurances couldn't curb the deeply felt fear that he had. Just what did Malefor not have? How could Spyro ensure that he would never follow down that path?

"Do you remember the last time you were here? What I said about what makes a purple dragon special?"

"Yes, you told me my heart is the key."

"Exactly. The thing that seperates you from all other dragons is that you have the purest heart. You are able to do things others cannot and can do it well. You can do this because you have a level of purity others do not."

"I still do not understand how this-"

"You and Malefor both share these traits. Like you, Malefor was once pure, innocent. Like you, he was to be a protector of this age." The voice said, interjecting Spyro.

"That's what worries me the most…" Spyro said, looking down.

"I can imagine why. As you know, Malefor was trained by the Guardians just as you were. However, Malefor encountered many events in his lifetime that would shape the dragon he would become and ultilately gave birth to the Dark Master."

"Yes but what were those events? What happened to him?"

"Darkness. Darkness is what happened. It corrupted him, made him think he could do the undoable. The forces of darkness have long since tried to corrupt the Purple Dragons, convince them to not pursue their duties and destinies, instead following a path to further their gain."

"Forces of darkness? What do they seek to gain by having the Purple Dragons turn to this… senseless violence and killing?"

"The Purple Dragons were created for, and have always been meant to bring balance to the world, bring peace. You bring balance between light and dark and guard one of the greatest threats to our world that could tip the balance… The darkness sees you as a threat, and wants you out of the way. You are the vanguard to this terrible secret… to this terrible weapon… Your duties to protect the weapon have been the same for all of these ages… until the darkness forced you into their slavery, to do their deeds."

"Like what they did to Malefor…?"

"Yes… I'm afraid so… Malefor was meant to be the first Purple Dragon in several thousand years, meant to bring balance to a world quickly coming apart. Before his duties were made clear to him… he went astray. His destiny was not met. Therefore, you exist young one."

"I am here to clean the mess Malefor started…"

"Meant to do many things young one, not just that."

"Like what?"

"You are here to bring balance, just Malefor was before you. While you are meant to guard the weapon, you above all things represent balance. You and Malefor both."

"The weapon… the Final Solution… when it was powering up during the final fight I saw something on the other side, something terrible… This dragon, calling himself the shadow spoke about the weapon, called it a relay. What is it? What is this "terrible secret" we are guarding?"

"Darkness, pure darkness. Long ago it was sealed on the others side of the weapon, the relay. It was done in a time where darkness was about to overcome all other things in existence, so it was banished to the other side, to bring balance back to this world. You are now called upon to maintain that balance. The darkness wants to badly to come back out, to unleash itself upon the world once more… This is why your duties are so important young one."

"Is this why records related to it have been destroyed? Even the Chronicler's records are slowly disappearing."

"Yes young one, the darkness is trying to amass their forces, and strike against a vulnerable opponent. They wanted to make sure neither you or Malefor would know of your true destinies."

"Then why did they have him initiate it anyway during his time? I don't understand, it goes against their plans…"

"Does it? It seems every step they've taken has gotten them closer to their goal, even the final showdown between you and Malefor above the weapon was possibly foreseen by the darkness. Even now I suspect that they're gathering strength, waiting for their next move, just as before."

"Before? What happened before? Are you talking about the Council?"

"Yes young one. Many years ago, they succeeded in the very thing they are doing now. They used the weapon to bridge the gap to the other side, and darkness once again rained upon the land. Countless worlds and species fell into their thrall, and they threatened to purge our lands from its balance. It was only due to the heroics of a few that the many were saved, and the darkness was once again banished to the other side. You know them, your allies Rithul, Diablo."

"Where are they now? I could use their help…"

"They are my servants, my messengers to the world. They're aiding you, in the background. It was they who summoned the humans to this world during the final showdown at the weapon. I knew the darkness was going to strike soon, and I felt you wouldn't be able to fight against them alone."

"Wait, it was you that brought the humans here?" He knew that Karson and the others spoke of engine troubles when they came here, but was it that deliberate?

"Yes young one. Their arrival was no coincidence. It was through the actions of my followers that they arrived to aid you. Now Rithul, Diablo and Singe travel to distant places, trying to find ways to aid against the darkness's plans. Even the return of Malefor was done by my followers."

"What?! You were the one who brought him back?! Why?!"

"To help you young dragon. Within Malefor lies a valuable ally and partner. The Purple Dragons are meant to hold back the forces of darkness. Within him also lies the history of what happened during his days and it could give you a chance to resist the darkness. With Malefor, you will have a fighting chance."

"Then I need to find him! Where is he?"

"He is in the Dragon City you call Warfang. He is heading back towards the Mushroom forest right now, and I assume will be there for quite some time. I would make haste however, as I think Malefor is in grave danger."

"From who?"

"From the ghosts of his past. Those who would seek revenge on him…"

"Oh no… Cynder…"

"I would hurry young one. Time is not on your side."

Spyro turned, sprinting out of the chamber and back to the outside. He couldn't let anything happen to Malefor… he needed to get to him time!

"Cynder… Please don't…"

End of Chapter 05

-[]-

Author's Comments: Hey guys, NewLegend1 again. I really, really appreciate your reviews and it helps me keep motivated to continue writing this story. I felt a little discouraged at first when this story wasn't getting any reviews but I appreciate those of you who have taken time to read my stories, I really do.


	6. The Price of Revenge

Chapter 06: The Price of Revenge

* * *

February 22, 1965 | 2:15 PM [Local Time] (1415 Hr MLTY)

Dragon Village of Argus, Southern Province of Artisan's

Subj: Malefor Age: 13 -3 Years Before Anomaly

* * *

Sunny days, oh sunny days.

It was bright out today, unusually bright Malefor noted. Well, it was hard to gauge that anyway but Malefor felt a certain calm about himself nonetheless. He walked towards the entrance to his home, pushing away the curtain and looking down the street. It was busy, as usual. Dragons walked the road, along with countless other species that called Argus home. They all went their busy ways, some saying hi to one another or talking. It was typical. It was calming.

"Hello honey, how're you today?" Malefor turned, seeing his mother walk by the door, smiling at him. He smiled back, walking back inside the house.

"I'm good mother. I was just thinking about…"

"Thinking about your element again?"

"Yeah… all the kids my age are at elemental academy. I'm stuck here though…"

"Don't worry about it honey, I'm sure it'll come around eventually."

He smiled, still a little discouraged however.

"I'm going to go into the market to pick up a few things. I'll be back later alright?"

"Alright!" Malefor said, smiling at her. She smirked at him, reading his mind.

"If you're going anywhere, make sure you're back before dark. I don't want a repeat of what happened last time…"

"I got it, I got it…" She shook her head at him, walking off of the porch and down towards the street.

"Bye Malefor, take care!"

"I will!" He shouted back as she disappeared into the crowd.

It had been 3 years since his encounter with the Jaguars, and he was still feeling the effects of it… His mother was very cautious with him after that incident, making sure to keep him close. She had… become more lax as the years went on, which Malefor was grateful for. He could still feel her eyes over his shoulder though… He knew she was being protective but he just wanted to have fun… Malefor had a habit of getting into trouble, at least with the wrong people. Malefor was known for doing kind acts for people, or even standing up to thugs like he had with the Jaguars. He had made a lot of enemies with a few people, though not enough to warrant severe danger… or at least Malefor thought so.

He could take care of himself…

It was also that day he met Ignitus and Terrador. He wondered what they were up to now. They said they were off to some prestigious academy… Malefor wished he could join them. Malefor longed so much to leave Argus and travel. He wanted to see the world out there… Instead of being confined in Argus.

He wondered how many friends they had met along their travels, and how happy their lives were right now. He wished he could join them… He was sure one day he'd meet them again.

One day…

As he saw his mother disappear into the crowd he leapt down, trotting off in the opposite direction. Time to explore again! He had found that this was an excellent way to pass the time, especially since he wasn't able to qualify for an academy in his current state. Nobody would take him… so now he just explored around Argus. The lush hills, forests and mountains around his village made for an excellent place to get lost in.

Though, it wasn't too hard to find your way back if that was the case…

He moved towards the edge of the village, following a dirt path that the local farmers had made to bring their crops into town. He passed by a few of them, each carrying bails of hay or wheat. The path went on forever, going all the way to the edge of the fields that surrounded Argus. It didn't take him long to get near the end though, he had taken this path several times already. It was his favorite route in and out of town.

"Looks like a storm is blowing into town…" Malefor stopped, hearing one of the farmers speaking to another.

"Yeah, can feel it in my bones. Looks like a really bad storm…"

Oh great… a storm… Well, he'd just have to do his rounds before it settled in, then he'd go home. He could outrun this storm… He looked up, seeing a few of the clouds blowing in from the north. The sun broke through as the clouds passed by, creating an interesting light as the darker clouds passed by the bright sky.

He shook his head before leaping over the small group of rocks and shrubs that served as the border for the path, now heading towards the hills that were just beyond the village, bordering the forest.

The grass was tall there, much taller then he remembered. Spring must be coming early this year then, since they had just gotten out of winter earlier this year. The grass blew softly in the wind, moving against Malefor's scales as he walked up one of the hills. He stopped at the top, looking around at the forest. He had never fully explored that forest, and he was kind of fearful to do so. That was a place you could get lost in if you weren't careful and Malefor didn't want to find out what was out there. The forest was to the southeast, heading back into the Dragon Kingdom. That region of the Kingdom was a little… how to put it…

Unsettled.

There were many species that lived in that region, tucked between the Dragon Kingdom, Artisan's and even Magic Crafters to the north. They had many grievances with dragon-kind, and Malefor did not dare find out what they'd do to a lone dragon wandering near their territory.

Malefor took in a deep breath before walking down the other side of the hill, heading in the direction of the forest. It didn't hurt to peak in though... no harm in that…

He walked until he was at the edge of the forest, looking in. He felt a cold was over him, making him look up into the sky again. The clouds were getting closer, some passing over Argus now. They seemed light though, and the bulk of this thing was still over the forest.

He had time.

He looked back down into the forest, looking at how dark it got as it went further in. Malefor caught something, something from within the forest… Was it a light? No… yes? It was hard to tell from here… It definitely came from within… He leapt over a bush that separated him from the forest, not even noticing a drop off that was right in front of him. He yelped slightly, hitting the ground and sliding down into the forest. He finally came to a stop, now seeing that the forest was kind of like a bowl, going down to a center down there. Though, from here he couldn't see where the center actually was. For that matter, he couldn't see the opposite end either.

He got up slowly, grunting slightly from the fall. Least he didn't break anything…

It didn't take much to start climbing down, using the vines and roots from the various trees and shrubs the navigate the steady incline. He did NOT want to risk anything while down here. Not in this… bowl… He could be injured for days and not be found, even in this proximity to Argus. Not enough people ventured beyond those hills enough.

He reached an area where a path started to form out of the various rocks and dirt mounds that went down farther. He trotted down, now having an easier time. It was then that he felt a gust of wind wash over him, accompanied by the sounds of all the birds in the area taking off all at once, as if spooked by something. Malefor gasped, looking up and into the forest. He caught another shimmer of light in the distance…it looked like a…

Dragoness?

He lifted an eyebrow, seeing the form vanish behind a tree further in. What the hell? He grunted, leaping down more to follow the form. That was a dragoness! The form was solid, though it looked… a little off. Still, what was that? Who was that?

He finally reached the tree where she was, looking around.

Nothing, he saw nothing. Where did she go…? Was he seeing things…? He rubbed his eyes, looking around again. He felt that… gust of wind again…

Looking up, he saw her again, standing atop a small ridge, looking at him. She just… stood there, looking directly at him. He couldn't really make out any features on her though… it's like she was… an apparition or something. He couldn't really see her legs either; they just faded away as they got closer to the ground. Regardless of her lack of features, her form and body screamed female to him… What caught him so much was the glow her form gave off, this pure blue and white glow… It just… fascinated him so much…

He stepped forward again, walking towards her. He just kept… walking towards her. He screamed at himself, this was a bad idea, a terrible idea! Though… she was just so… breathtaking…

He eventually got close to her, climbing up on the small ridge she stood atop. As he got close enough to almost reach up and touch her, she turned and walked away.

Grunting, he climbed up quickly, catching a glimpse of her walking deeper into the forest and fading away.

He picked himself up, sprinting to where she had just been.

Again, nothing.

Where the hell was she going…? Just who was she…? He felt something brush against him, another gust. He looked around quickly, trying to see where she was this time.

He saw her, back even further. She stood between two trees that sat against a small hill within the forest. It was surrounded by darkness, only some rays of lights coming through the top of the trees above serving as any form of brightness. She was still just… looking at him. He took in another deep breath, moving towards her once more.

"Hey… hey… who are you? Why are you…" He had gotten close enough to see her, almost in arms reach now. Her form was blank… no expression, no features… just blue, bright blue. He could see her eyes though, orbs of pure white, just looking at him.

"Who are you…?" He asked again, going a little closer. This time she vanished just as his claws touched her. He withdrew his claw, looking at it softly. He could see wisps of blue coming off of it, dancing in the breeze. How curious…

It was then that he felt the ground rumble under him then give way. He let out a yelp, tumbling down into the blackness below.

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

You've done good work young one, but the trials have yet to begin.

What? Who said that? Was that him? No…

I have watched, and I have listened. It is time for you to truly embrace what you are.

What? Had he been following him? Who was this…? He was so confused…

You will be the one, to watch over them all. But first, you have to survive.

Survive? Survive what? What was happening?

Malefor's eyes shot open, his body pulsating with pain. His head throbbed, his legs ached… what the hell happened? He gripped his head, slowly sitting up. Looking up, he saw that he had fallen through a hole into some sort of cavern… Cavern? Well, that was one word for it…

The room he had fallen it wasn't any cavern he had seen or heard of before. The walls around him were made of a silver metal, with etchings running its length. The room was off balance, like it had fallen off its original foundation some time ago. Vines and roots had penetrated the roof, slowly making their way down the walls and to the floor. The floor itself was slowly being reclaimed by dirt, rock and grass, it all making its way up to the opposite wall which was at the highest elevation.

On that wall, he could see an etching of a dragon, of many dragons. They were all blue, much like the dragoness he had seen earlier. Who were these dragons? Water dragons? No… he didn't think it was that simple. Water dragons weren't known for their metal works. Who built this place then? Was it these dragons here? Blue… blue… what other element was blue? Malefor could only draw a blank to their identity, sighing softly.

Whoever they were, they were probably long gone by the looks of this place.

Malefor guessed this structure had been here for decades, maybe even hundreds of years. If that was the case why didn't the metal rust? Was it enchanted? Probably… though could an enchantment last that long…? This whole place was strange…

A loud boom resonated through the room originating from outside. It sounded like, thunder? Oh no, the storm! How long had he been out?! Malefor scrambled up and out of the hole, looking around the forest. The forest had gotten much darker, rays of orange light coming from the direction of the village. It was sunset already! Oh no! Malefor had to get back quickly!

He leapt down from the hill, heading back into the bowl-like area ahead. He had to flap his wings every once in a while to keep himself from tumbling down like an idiot and hurting himself. While he couldn't fly, he was able to glide for a few precious seconds to cushion his falls as he went forward. He reached the opposite end, now climbing back up. He climbed up fast, not even realizing he had gotten a few bruises from the sharp rocks that lined the ridge.

He finally reached the top, looking out towards the hills. The grass on the hills blew in the wind, black clouds covering the sky almost as far as the eye could see. Off in the distance he could still see the sun, slowly setting behind the mountains in the distance, casting its final rays upon the world.

He had to get back, and quickly! He raced forward, dashing between the hills with great speed. He could feel the winds around him picking up, but something was off. He could feel a chill in the air, a very dark chill… Though it wasn't coming from the wind, it was just in the air. Even more then that, it felt like it was penetrating his skin, going all the way to his bone… Man he had to get back quickly now.

He reached the edge of the hills, leaping back onto the footpath he had used earlier to exit Argus. Black clouds swirled above his head, creating a menacing scene above.

He finally reached the first group of huts and buildings that sat along the edge of Argus. Only a few beams of light remained, filtering in over the different buildings in Argus. Black clouds began to settle in, their illumination having been lost as the sun settled more.

He could see his house now, a few leaves blowing across his gaze as he zipped from house to house, trying to remain hidden in case his mother was peering through one of the windows. He stopped along the house next door to his, looking into his windows. There was no movement. Good… maybe his mother was asleep. Maybe he could slip in without her noticing and everything would be good! He looked around the street and something hit him.

Where was everybody? He hadn't seen a single soul on his way into the town. All he felt was this chill that flowed through the town. He could feel it in his bones… All the while those clouds continued to grow over the town, seeming to block out any remaining rays the sun was giving off in the distance. He grunted, ignoring this as he slowly crept up to his porch. He slowly pushed open the curtains that served as their door, peering inside. It was pitch black inside the house. There was no movement, no sound. None of her candles were on either. This was strange. If there was one thing that he could count on, it was those candles. She adored those things, like a hobby of hers. He could see the candles, strewn across the floor, knocked over.

What the…? How did they get knocked over?

He reached over, picking them up and setting them back where they had fallen from. He could feel some… heat from them still. There was even a little bit of smoke that rose from them too. Probably just the wind from outside that extinguished the candles. He still didn't hear anything from his room or even his mother's room. There were more objects on the ground though, shattered pots and broken objects. Man, the wind had to have been pretty strong to knock those down…

It must've been the storm that knocked them over. It'd probably be a good idea to go and wake up his mother, especially if it was going to get rough. He stepped over another fallen object, his paw stepping in some liquid that had dripped onto the floor. He bent down, pulling up his paw. The liquid was black… well, blackish. He couldn't see its true color, it was way too dark in this room to even tell. Probably just water or candle wax knocked over when the candles fell. He walked over to his mother's door, peering in. There was just… darkness… He could feel the darkness too… just washing over him… It felt like there was something inside… looking back at him… but it wasn't his mom…

He could still feel it though… burning a hole in his skull before it just… vanished.

Suddenly he saw a figure emerge from the darkness, a tall, skinny fox who darted out, smashing into Malefor with great force. Malefor fell to the ground, grunting as he saw the fox pick himself up slowly, only wearing tattered clothing. He could see in one hand he held… a knife? What the hell?! As soon as the fox spotted Malefor he saw his eyes widen. He could see pure fear and anxiety in his eyes… like the life had been sucked out of him by something. He could hear the fox make a few whimpering sounds before quickly running towards the door.

"Hey wait, get back here!" Malefor said, leaping at him and tackling the fox down. The fox grunted, kicking Malefor off of him, sending him crashing against a wall.

"S-stay back! Don't come any closer!" He yelled, quickly turning his head left and right, as if paranoid of something. Malefor quickly got back up and ran over, not wanting to let him escape.

"D-don't! I… I'll… " The fox kept backing up until he saw something to his left that made him go into a dead run, vanishing from Malefor's view. If he had a knife and he had just come from mother's room…

Mother! No!

Malefor grunted, quickly running back into his mother's room. Malefor ran in so quickly he didn't even notice that the roof to her room was gone. Black clouds swirled above, a soft illuminating light swimming in to fill the room, fill in the blanks.

Malefor's eyes widened, freezing at what it showed.

His mother, sat against the wall, the mat she had been using to sleep on having been torn apart and scattered across the room. She sat there, blood dripping from grotesque wounds that had been inflicted with great force, her body in an absolute wreck as he could hear soft gasps escaping her.

She was still alive!

"Mother!" He cried, running over to her. He almost fell down, skidding on his knees as he placed his paws on her chest, tears dripping down from his eyes.

"M-malefor… y-young one…" She said, gasping for air again. "Is that y-you…?"

"It's me! I'm here! What happened?! Who did this to you mother?!" He cried, panic and disbelief beginning to gripping him.

"Malefor… it… you… you have to run Malefor… run away… you have to get away…"

"No! I can't leave you! I have to get you out of here!" He moved, trying to pull her away from the wall, try to get her out of this hell to safety.

"No… you… you can't… it's too late Malefor… you have to go… go far away…"

"But mother…"

"Malefor… I've always… believed you were special… you were meant to do great things Malefor… you have to escape… live Malefor…"

"But I can't leave you… I can save you! I can get you out of here!"

"You can't Malefor… " She brought up a paw, pressing it against his chest softly, rubbing it like she used to when he was younger to comfort him.

"I love you Malefor… I always have… I'll be alright…"

"Mother…"

"Go Malefor… get out of here…before it's too late…"

"But I don't want to leave you…"

"Promise me Malefor… no matter what happens… you'll do what's right…"

"I… I…" He looked up at her, seeing she was gasping for breath, weak from her injuries.

"I promise… I… I promise I'll do what's right…"

"That's… that's all I can a-ask of you… I love you…" She smiled down at him, leaning in to kiss his forehead softly. He closed his eyes, tears dripping from his face. He opened them, seeing her eyes dull out. He gasped, feeling her arm leave his chest, falling t the floor with a thud.

"Mother!"

There was no response.

"Mother… no…" He leaned into her, sobbing softly as he gripped her tightly. No… no this couldn't be happening! No! Why did this have to happen... His mother never did anything to anyone… She never wronged anybody… Why did this have to happen…? That fox… that fucking fox… He would pay for this… He gritted his teeth, tears dripping down. Sniffing, he backed away slowly, looking around as the darkness seemed to be consuming everything. Black clouds grew to consume the entire horizon, a cold wind slapping against him. He had to go… but he couldn't leave her… he couldn't just leave her here like this…

Another chill slept across him, making his bones cringe at the feeling.

"Get out of here… before it's too late…" He could still hear her words, eating at him at the back of his skull. He clenched his eyes, looking back up at her.

"I love you mother… I'll… I'll try my hardest to be the best I can be… I promise…" He took her paw in his and clenched it softly. He broke away, turning quickly before stepping out of the room. He couldn't bear to look at her again… he just… couldn't… Sniffing softly, he bolted out of the door and back onto the street. He looked around, still seeing nobody. Grunting with panic, he dashed around, looking for anybody to help.

"Hello?! Hello! Anybody there! Please help! Help!"

There were no responses.

You have to survive.

What? Who said that? That voice again!

He could feel that chill again, it reaching deep into him this time. He clenched his eyes, gripping his chest. It felt… like… like it was reaching into him, gripping at his soul! He had to go… get away… He darted, going between houses. He still saw nobody, only feeling the cold at his back and the strong winds that swept through the town. He had to escape… get away! He ran faster, leaping over fallen crates and barrels. He ran through the deserted marketplace, seeing fruits and vegetables still on their stands, blackened as if they were poisoned. There was nobody here, all gone like everywhere else. He grunted with more panic, darting past the alley where 3 years ago he had confronted two jaguars who were trying to punish an old innocent faun. The familiar alleyway looked so alien to him as he darted through it quickly, the black clouds casting an evil omen across the stones.

He changed direction, running out towards the outskirts of town. He ran forward, never looking behind him as tears fell from his eyes. He could not bear to even look back, look back at these places, not knowing if he'd ever see them again. It was at this point that he saw a figure running in a field in front of him. It was the fox… the fox!

Malefor stopped, looking at him. It was indeed the same fox from before, running for his very life from Argus. It was him… he murdered his mother… Malefor growled, feeling pure rage boil through him. He did this! It was him!

He growled, feeling the cold wash over him but it feeling numb to him now. The cold was overtaken by the heat and anger that now washed through his blood now. He went into a dead sprint, feeling the ground vanish under him as his body moved with a speed he had never felt before.

"YOU!" He shouted, catching the attention of the fox. The fox turned, seeing Malefor sprinting at him. The fox yelped, trying to run even faster and in a panicked manner. He knew Malefor was coming for him… Malefor growled even more, feeling his anguish push his feet faster, his claws sinking into the ground with each stroke of his feet. They ached for the fox… to do to him what he had done to his mother…

It wasn't long before Malefor caught up to the fox. He shoved the fox to the ground, placing is paw on his chest and holding him with his own weight The fox pushed back, trying to get up desperately.

"No please! It wasn't me! I swear! You have to listen!" He pleaded, his voice sounding light. He probably wasn't that old, maybe in his late teens. He was no adult, that was for sure.

"You LIAR! You broke into my house! You murdered my mother!" Malefor yelled back, spit landing on the fox's face.

"No! You have to believe me!"

"Then where did the knife come from?!"

"They were coming for me! I had to protect myself!"

"Who?! Who was coming for you?!"

"The darkness… it was coming… consuming everything…"

"You're a liar! You came and murdered my mother! I cannot forgive you! I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" Malefor's voice broke up near the end, unable to voice his pure hatred for the creature below him. He didn't even deserve this… deserve being able to 'defend himself' like this. He only deserved death.

Suddenly Malefor felt himself being launched into the air, right onto his back.

"No! The darkness, they're coming for you, coming for me! They're going to kill everybody one day, I've seen it!"

"Stop with your lies… you can't get away!" Malefor charged again, managing to take a chunk out of the fox's vest that he wore, the fabric coming apart like a soft silk in his talons, unlike the rough leather it was actually made out of.

The fox panicked, bringing his knife up to strike against Malefor's arm, cutting through his thin scales and right into his skin. Malefor growled, retracting his arm and gripping it. Blood dripped down from the wound, right into the grass. He couldn't feel anything though, it was as if feeling meant nothing, only that the job was done. Without missing a beat, Malefor leapt forward again, swiping at the fox once more. The fox attempted to leap back, grunting as the ground was uneven, not giving him a good place to stand on without almost falling over. Malefor saw this, leaping towards him to knock him down. The fox saw this, managing to sidestep out of the way. Malefor rolled into the grass, quickly gaining his footing again as thunder split the sky open once more. This seemed to alarm the fox who froze, his pupils shrinking.

"No! They're coming! I can't let you stop me! I have to get away!" The fox took in a sharp breath, swinging his knife at Malefor, trying desperately to get Malefor to either back down or to defeat him. Malefor wasn't going to have it. He was going to avenge his mother. He was going to show this fox you can't just do this to him… do this to his family… he was going to make sure he paid!

With renewed vigor, Malefor retaliated with his own strikes, striking at his arm and shoving him back. The fox didn't let down, coming right back. He swung hard, clipping Malefor's arm as he brought it back for another strike. Malefor only emitted a low grunt in response, kicking away to avoid the fox's follow up strike. Malefor answered with another blow of his own, swinging his tail around to knock the fox off. Sure enough, the fox's legs were caught by the hit and he fell over. The fox tried to get up but Malefor was already moving on top, swinging down on him. The fox brought up the knife, Malefor's talons clinging off of the metallic surface. Malefor cringed, the vibrations going back up Malefor's arms but trying to maintain his attack.

The fox took advantage of this momentary lapse, bringing the knife up to strike right at Malefor's chest. The fox was able to chip a piece off of his protective chest plate, enough for to realize he was in trouble. He brought his forelegs down hard, stomping on the fox's shoulders and causing him to release the knife. The knife fell onto his stomach, and it rolled into the grass, away from the fox.

Malefor grunted, rage and hatred flowing from his eyes. The fox looked up at him with an absolute fear. He had lost. Malefor was victorious.

"No! Please!"

"Enough! I've had enough of you!" Malefor wasn't going to wait any longer. No, this had to end now. He brought up his claws, readying them for a fatal blow. The fox's eyes tracked Malefor's talons as they came up, watching as his life inched closer and closer to its end.

"Please no! Please!" Malefor couldn't even hear him anymore. He only felt his claws reach the top of their swing and align with the creature's throat. He felt his claws lash down and contact something soft… then…

Silence, just as before.

Malefor panted, tears still dripping down. The fox below him had gone limp, his claws having found their mark… and taken him from the world, just as he had done to his mother. He clenched his eyes, rage and anger now being replaced by fear and anguish again. The cold returned to his body, even stronger now.

Why did he do it…? Why…?

His heart felt heavy, the sight of the lifeless fox making him cringe. He… he did this? He… he just killed him, in cold blood. Malefor had never hurt anyone before and… he… he…

Oh God…

He had just broken his own promise to his mother… this wasn't right… none of it was right! The darkness, it was growing again, making his body ache and shiver. No! This wasn't right! What had he done?! Malefor felt sick, almost wanting to throw up. Yes, the fox had killed his mother, but it… it wasn't right to kill like that! It's never right! Malefor had committed a great crime… He'd never be forgiven for this… never… He could never show his face around Argus again… he was no better then the fox… a cold blooded murderer…

God what had he done…?

He sobbed, slowly stumbling off of the lifeless body. He fell to the ground, rolling in the grass as he cried softly. The darkness was growing stronger… consuming his body as he could feel his tail and legs grow numb. No… he couldn't stop… He got up slowly, trying to reach the end of the field. He reached the end, awkwardly leaping over the bushes that bordered it. He couldn't coordinate his feet properly, slamming into the ground hard on the other end. With a sob and whine, he managed to roll himself back onto his feet.

Can't stop now… can't stop… He lifted his body up, running off. He had to get away, get away from here. The cold backed off slowly the more he ran from Argus. The black clouds grew larger, covering everything. He saw the hills that he had been in earlier… he had to get there, he had to get away.

He ran out towards the hills, slowly climbing over them as their once yellow blades were starting to turn a dull color, the darkness taking them. He reached the top of the hill, rolling down again as he lost his footing. He rolled to the base of the hill, the force sending him through several shrubs that were at the base of a few trees. He… he couldn't stop here… He had to keep going. The darkness was eating away at him, his scales even seeming duller now as he got up. He ran, ran as far as he could go. The forest.. he could o there… He leapt into the forest, just realizing the bowl-like nature of the ground here. He grunted, unraveling his wings to try and glide. It… it was working! Oh man! He tried to focus his energy on keeping himself aloft, but he was so weak already. His wings began to falter, the wind and air in the forest being erratic from the storm.

Malefor yelled as he tumbled to the ground, skidding near the ridge where he had seen the dragoness earlier. He got up slowly, his legs buckling under him as they struggled to bear his weight. His head felt so heavy, his body… his claws… his claws felt unclean. They were still stained with the blood of someone.

He looked up, seeing a familiar sight before him. The dragoness stood before him, her form having faded a bit too. She shook her head at him, motioning to his hand.

"N-no! I didn't mean to! I…" He looked down, sobbing. He… he did mean to… He… he killed him in cold blood… in pure hatred and revenge… it was his fault…

He picked his head up slowly, seeing that the dragoness had walked up to him, and was in his face, looking at him. It seemed as though she was staring right into his soul, penetrating deep into him. He gritted his teeth, backing up slightly in fear.

She raised her paws up, gripping Malefor's face. He felt them on his face, cold and almost lifeless as she gripped his face hard. What was she going to do…? Punish him…? He probably deserved it…

Suddenly, he saw her eyes begin to glow brighter, before the light obscured his entire vision. He screamed, feeling a cold feeling surge through him. He saw images, repercussions… danger… He could feel it all over, in his bones, in his skin. What was this?!

You are defined by your actions. Your actions define what kind of person you will become. What kind of person will you become? The path is up to you.

That voice again… it was a male voice, same as before… though it seemed to come from the dragoness…

Paths…? He… he didn't know what kind of person he'd be… He always thought he'd grow up to be someone great… or at least aspire to do great things… but now… now he was unsure…

The path is open ahead of you. Choose wisely young one.

The visions stopped, and the pain left Malefor's head. He slowly opened his eye, looking around. The dragoness was gone, replaced by silence. He could still feel the winds slapping against him, and the darkness still continued to grow. Where could he go…?

Survive.

There was that voice again…

He grunted, feeling something pulse in his head, like something had been imprinted in there. He saw an image flicker, an image forming before him. It was the dragoness! Her image… it flickered before him. He could see her walking, walking towards that hole he had fallen in earlier. He looked at the hole, then turned to see the black forest behind him, no trace of light left. With a grunt, he leapt into the hole, clenching his eyes before hitting something hard. Before he blacked out, he was able to mutter one thing and one thing only.

"I'm sorry mother…"

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

Malefor awoke suddenly, almost with a jolt. He grunted, gripping his head. His entire body ached and throbbed with pain… as if he had been laying there for quite some time. How long had he been here? Where was he? He looked around, seeing the metal walls before him. Oh yeah… he was… here…

Wait, then that meant…

Argus! Mother!

He got up, stumbling a bit as he climbed up and out of the cavern-like room, emerging into the forest. It was quiet, though Malefor could hear the sounds of forest all around him. Leaves blowing in the wind, birds chirping… He even saw an animal grazing nearby before it spotted him, quickly scurrying away.

Climbing out fully he walked down along the path. His body was weak… he was hungry and covered in dirt and grime. He had to hold a paw up to his chest, holding onto what he could only tell was a bruise he sustained during his second fall. He couldn't stop here though…

After a few minutes, he finally managed to climb up and out of the forest. He poked his head out from the brush, having to cover his eyes as the sunlight began to bear on him. It looked about midday outside… maybe morning even. Puffy white clouds hovered overhead, blown along by the winds. He could see some smoke though, rising off in the distance. Oh no…

He moved faster, going over the hills and reaching its apex, looking over at Argus.

Rather, what was left of Argus…

What was once a prosperous little village at the foot of a few hills and mountains now lay in ruins. Buildings were torn apart, debris littering the street. It looked like the storm had completely and utterly destroyed the village… Barely anything remained amongst the blackened wood and broken stones. Wait, blackened wood?

The wood looked burned, that was odd… Probably lightning that struck the village, creating a fire during the storm… How could this have happened…? Was this why the voice kept telling him to just survive? He felt a cold jolt through him, realizing he might've been in that storm, under the rubble if he hadn't managed to get out in time. That… darkness kept coming back to Malefor too, how cold and numbing it felt… part of him felt at ease in its presence, like it generated a state of cool and easiness… no, no, no it didn't.

What was he saying?

He shook his head. Whatever it was, it was horrifying… But, what was it exactly?

"Look, a survivor!"

Malefor was snapped from his thoughts, looking around. He saw a few dragons who had been exploring a few of the battered fields spot him and run over. Survivors? Where were they? He looked around himself, looking if there was anybody in the field. It took him a few moments to realize the survivor was actually himself…

"By the ancestors, it's him, he survived!" One of the dragons said, turning to a dark blue dragon who walked up to Malefor, being the largest out of the group.

"Young one, you're safe. Where've you been this whole time?"

"Me…? I… I don't know… what happened here? What happened to Argus?"

"It was destroyed, whipped out in a monstrous storm… I'm afraid nobody survived."

"What?! Nobody?! But… that's impossible! How could a storm have killed everybody!"

"There is nobody left young one. The storm destroyed the village before anyone could escape."

"There aren't any bodies either, which is puzzling." The other dragon said.

"No, there has to be someone alive! How long ago did it hit?!"

"Five days ago. We've been searching the area for five days. Nobody has come out of the ruins alive. You're the only one we've found."

Five days… he was out… for five days…? This… this couldn't be! No!

"There… there, it… it…"

"They're all gone, nobody is left. You have to come with me now. The Guardians have sent me here to find you and take you to the Temple."

Malefor looked up suddenly, shaking his head.

"No… no… I…"

"Young one you have to come, I have been searching for you for months. We have to take you to the Temple at Arcantheus. The Guardians have been waiting to see you for years."

"See me…? Why would they want to see me…?"

"Because you're the purple one talked about in the prophesies."

"Purple one…?" He looked down at his scales, the purple color reflecting back at him from under the dirt and grime that still covered his body.

"Yes. It is imperative that we take you to the temple."

"I… don't know…" Malefor turned away, looking at the ground. He had lived here his entire life… everything was gone now but he didn't know if he was ready to leave yet. He didn't know if he was ready for this, any of this… whatever it was.

He looked up again but turned when he felt a gust of air against him. He saw a figure standing next to the dragons, the blue dragoness! His eyes went wide as he saw her, standing and looking at him. She still lacked any features that he could see, her body glowing luminously. None of the other dragons even noticed she was there.

She watched him before turning to the dragons, then back to Malefor. She nodded slowly, as if to reassure him. He took in a deep breath before looking back up to the main dragon before him.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, turning to see what Malefor was looking at. He looked right at the dragoness but made no acknowledgement or motion to suggest he could even see her.

"No… it's nothing. I'll… I'll go with you. I think I'm ready…"

"That's great little one. Come, we have to prepare you for your journey to Arcantheus. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Silus."

Malefor nodded slowly, still weak from coming out of the forest.

"I'm Malefor."

"Well Malefor, we have much to discuss and I have much to teach you."

Silus turned, walking with the others along the hills and back towards another area of the forest. Malefor went to follow but stopped, looking over the ruins of his home. He frowned and sighed softly, a tear dripping from his eyes and onto the grass.

"Goodbye Mother…" He said softly before turning, seeing the dragoness still watching him before turning and trotting off to follow the other dragons, Malefor grunting before doing the same.

[Memory dysync]

Done…

* * *

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

October 2, 2204 [UER Military Calander]

12:42 AM [Local Time](0042 Hr MLTY]

Cave within the Mushroom Forest

* * *

Malefor looked at the ground, finishing his recounting of the events those years ago.

"Malefor I..." Eatherine looked at him, her eyes drooped low, a sign of sadness and empathy.

"It's... it's ok... I just remembered this earlier myself... Now, I feel like I've known this for years and it's been huanting me. I... I don't really know anymore what to think." He looked up, his eyes meeting hers.

"I don't know who I really am, like I'm trapped within myself."

"Look... I... I'm sorry with the way I acted earlier... how I... how I've been acting since I met you. I guess I've just been... hiding from my own problems here in this forest..."

"It's alright. We've all got our different problems we're trying to resolve. I'm just happy you made the right choice." He said, looking back up at her. She smiled before taking in a deep breath and breaking the gaze, rubbing her leg.

"Well, only because you stopped me."

"I just didn't want you burdened like it's burdened me, apparently."

"You still don't really know how old those memories are, or what happened to make you loose those memories?" She asked, tilting her head.

"No, nothing. It's just one big blur and it seems every day I have a new peice to this puzzle of who I am... who I was."

"You've talked about Argus, Archantheus in your dreams, memories but... those places didn't exist when I was up north with my family."

"I know... but it feels so real, feels so... true... There has to be an explanation for this."

"Maybe you've heard of these places before and you're putting them in places of the original names?"

"Maybe, though when I think back to those memories I can see the dragon capital vividly and I can remember where everything was. I was there."

"I've seen that place too, it was all ruin." She frowned, looking down again.

"I... I just don't know. Maybe one day I'll have a memory that'll finally connect all these dots, give me the bigger picture."

"Yeah, maybe this is all leading up to that. I'd like to help, if you don't mind. It's the least I can do for you... stopping me from making such a huge mistake..."

Malefor chuckled at that.

"I don't mind. I'm just glad you didn't go through with it. I'm sure your parents are proud of you for that." She smiled at him from his words.

"Thanks... I'm sure your mother is very proud too." Eatherine saw Malefor visibly flinch when she mentioned his mother, making her bite her lip. Malefor quickly realized he had made that reaction and replaced it with a smile, nodding to her to ease her concerns.

"I hope... So... now what're you going to do now that I've thwarted your life's pursuit?" He asked, his smile turning into a smirk. She just shook her head at him.

"Well, since you've gone and done all that... I really don't know now. I guess now all I can do is start to peice together a life I should have done all those years ago. I really should have just gone with Flame's family when I had the chance. I'm sure I would be much happier then just living out here in these swamps..."

"Perhaps. You really like Flame, don't you?"

"Flame? He's been... wonderful to me. Long before you came along to drive a stake in my plans he'd been trying to talk me out of it. Though after all these years I just toned out his arguments and it took someone else like you to actually hold me back when the time came. I know back in those days, I used to sit and wonder about what it would be like to have a family again. I've always thought of him as a brother to me, someone I could count on."

"Sure it isn't more then just that?" She laughed again.

"What? That I like him? Jealous now?" Malefor's face quickly changed, he shaking his head and lifting his paws defensively.

"No, I was just wondering."

"He is cute, I'll give him that. A little too talkative sometimes though, but... he is great. Right now I'm not too concerned with anything like that. I may take him up on his offer later though, live in Warfang with his family. I really need to get out of these caves..." She looked around at the dark walls, the moonlight filtering in from the outside.

"I don't know, I kinda like how peaceful it is."

"Well from what I can tell you haven't lived in one for several years so that feeling gets old after a while." Malefor laughed at that.

"I bet."

"What about you? You just going to... wander around to jog your memory?"

"I have absolutely no idea. I... I kind of want to travel up north, go to Arcantheus to see it for myself. I would like to find some of my old friends, see where they are. I also want to find Vesinianne."

"I'd like to help you in your journey."

"I'd appreciate that. I don't know how long I could go traveling alone." He said with a light half-hearted chuckle.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." She said.

"Uh huh." He said sarcastically. "I really need to figure out what happened to me, and why I'm here."

"Well, we'll set out tomorrow then."

"Really?"

"Yeah! We'll set out tomorrow for the dragon city. It might take a few days but I know the way from here. I'm sure you don't remember it too well." Malefor shook his head, reaffirming that.

"Right, then it's settled, we'll head out tomorrow!" She said, walking over to her small makeshift bed.

"Thanks for doing this Eatherine." Malefor said. She stopped, turning her head slightly.

"No, thank you. It's been too long since I did something... productive with my life. You helped me, so I'm helping you." She continued walking over to her bed before laying down and closing her eyes. He just smiled before turning, looking out to the two moons that sat in the sky. The light filtered in from the hole in the cavern wall, obscured slightly by vines and the thick mushroom growth but those two moons continued to sit in the night sky, illuminating the cavern. Tommorrow... that'll be the day.

* * *

1:28 AM [Local Time] (0128 Hr MLTY)

Dragon Temple

* * *

"Cynder, it's really late... you should go to sleep..." Aaron said, rubbing his eyes. Cynder sat, unmoving as she looked out over the mushroom forest from on the balcony. Aaron looked at her before frowning.

"Cynder?" He asked, trying to invoke a response from the onyx dragoness. He heard a deep breath before she turned slightly, acknowledging his existence.

"He's out there Aaron... he's out there..." She turned back, looking at the forest.

"You're talking about Malefor... right?" He walked up, now standing beside her.

"No... the Dark Master..." He could hear a great hatred in her voice, a great anger. He let out a soft sigh.

"Don't worry, we're going to get him. When Spyro comes back with the knoledge of the Chronicler, we'll take down Malefor once and for all..."

"Will we?"

"Huh?"

"We've defeated Malefor several times, and he just keeps coming back. Aaron, you... me... we've both been his servants at some point. You should know how powerful he is... and if he just keeps coming back... can we really beat him once and for all?"

"I think we can, we just can't give up."

"Can't give up? Aaron, he's back! That monster is back and we're just sitting here at the temple waiting for Spyro! I'm tired of waiting, I'm tired of sitting and letting that monster live another moment of his life!" Aaron had to take a step back, alarmed at her anger. Great, he'd pressed the wrong nerve with that 'innocent' statement.

"Cynder, if we just go out there, whose to say he won't have some sort of trap set up? He could lure us out one by one! We need to wait for Spyro, attack when we're at our strongest... It's why you two beat him the first time and again this past time with help from everyone. You can't fight him alone Cynder... "

"Yes but Aaron, I just can't sit here watching as he does his work. What do you think he'll do this time? He's nearly destroyed the world twice over and sent our civilization to the brink of destruction! Look all around! The dragons are nothing now... This is all because of him..." She pointed out over the forest for emphasis, staring Aaron in the eyes. He sat, unflinching as he looked into her eyes with great composure.

"That may be but we'll acomplish nothing in our state." Cynder turned, looking back at the forest before letting her head drift down to look at the ground.

"Aaron... 4 years ago after Spyro beat me and brought me back here... we all knew what was coming. We all knew the Dark Master would eventually find a way out of Convexity... We knew Gual would be on the hunt, trying to bring his master back... But what did we do about it? We didn't do anything! We sat around for months while Gual and his armies gathered strength. Now look, we're paying the price for it..."

"Are we? You don't know what might have happened if you went across the realms trying to stop Gual and the Dark Master. I remember that you left the temple on your own disgression, and were captured by the apes! We have to move united or that'll happen all over again!"

"I was captured because back then I left to get away from the temple, get away from dragons like Spyro. I knew being near Spyro would just endanger him... would just bring him harm... I had been tainted by convexity and even back then I could still feel the Dark Master's claws at the back of my head. I was still his puppet."

"That's not true, you helped Spyro defeat Gual if I remember correctly."

"No I didn't, it was all Spyro. I... I lured Spyro there..." She looked down at the ground, clenching her eyes as she recounted what the Dark Master had originally told them when they confronted him for the first time. He was right. He had always been right… She had forgotten Aaron hadn't been there during that confrontation.

"What? Why did you do that?"

"Because I could still feel the Dark Master in my head! I could still hear his voice, telling me it was the right thing! I was still his servant!" She pounded her fist into the concrete, a tear dripping from her face. Aaron could only look on before waling closer to put a paw on her shoulder comfortingly. She backed away from his paw, she wanting space at the moment. Aaron retracted his claw, letting out another sigh.

"I thought at the time I was doing the right thing... trying to get away from Spyro to save him... I thought that by giving myself to the pirates I could get as far away as I possibly could... then when I was captured by the Apes I let myself get taken to the Mountain of Malefor... I let it happen! Not once did I let it stop! I knew what could happen but I told myself Spyro would be safe, I told myself this wouldn't happen! Now I see it was all him, it was all the Dark Master... it was my damned fault that I wanted to feel his embrace again so I did it! That monster made me do it!"

"Don't say things like that! You didn't know that would happen, you didn't know the Apes would track you down and capture you from those pirates! You didn't know what could happen!"

"I did! I did know! Aaron you have no idea what it's like... feeling the Dark Master at the back of your mind... making you feel special... making you just want to jump into his embrace... you got out before the Dark Master had the chance to truly corrupt you... You don't know what it was like..."

"That may be but Cynder, look around. We, you, beat the Dark Master. When Spyro arrived there at the Mountain of Malefor to rescue you, he defeated Gaul."

"And in the process came in contact with convexity... Because of me Spyro's been tainted by the darkness..."

"He's overpowered it, hasn't he?"

"I don't know. I want to believe he's mastered it but sometimes... sometimes I don't know. We've both been tainted, and I know the Dark Master tried to take advantage of it... I'm... I'm scared..."

"Scared he'll try to take you back...?"

"Yes... I... I've been trying to tell myself that it's evil, that I never want to go back. But... Aaron... that darkness... it's just so..."

"I know, I know..." He walked up, embracing her into a hug. She accepted, sniffing softly while placing her head against his neck.

"I'm sorry Aaron... I haven't told anyone about this... not even Spyro..."

"You need to tell him. You need to tell him that you're worried, that you're scared."

"No... he has enough on his mind. I'm sure he's worried about a few things too... but... Aaron... you understand I can't rest while the Dark Master is out there... I just want him to be gone so badly..."

"I... I understand Cynder..." He looked up at the stars, looking up at the two moons as they lit up the horizon with their light.

"Forgive me Spyro..." Aaron thought to himself softly.

End of Chapter 06


	7. Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 07: Ghosts of the Past

"At first he mastered fire, which was odd because he was not a fire dragon. Then came Ice…"

Chronicler to Spyro, September 22, 2201

-[]-

May 19, 1965 | 12:37 PM [Local Time] (1237 Hr MLTY)

Dragon Temple, Peninsula of the Dragon

Subj: Malefor Age: 13 -3 Years Before Anomaly

* * *

Malefor flapped his wings, slowly setting down on the Temple balcony. The other Guardians landed near him or had already landed. The Temple was... well... awesome to say the least. It wasn't nearly as large of the Temple of Our Ancestors back in Arcantheus but the fact that the temple was nestled on the top of a plateau in the middle of an expansive mushroom forest only added to its majesty. Aurelius landed next to him, looking up at the large temple.

"Good to be home again... come Malefor, there is much to see and discuss. This will be your new home for training."

"What about Arcantheus and the temple there?"

"We'll visit there every so often but this, this is the Guardian's true home and I believe yours as well. Don't worry, you'll grow to like it here." Aurelius said as he walked towards the central door. Two guards stood at the door before stepping to the side, allowing Aurelius safe entry along with the other Guardians who shuffled in. Malefor couldn't remember the last time he had seen all the Guardians together like this. The last time was probably when he arrived at the temple earlier that year.

They entered, Malefor looking all around at the large room that was presented to him. The room before him sat with a brilliant stone floor, vines covering it slightly as they grew from the wall, some mushrooms forming along the elaborate patterns that decorated the room. In the center of the room sat a massive statue that... kind of looked like him. Malefor lifted an eyebrow at the sight, looking it over.

"The Master Mason in charge of the Temple thought it would be a paying tribute to modify the temple to your likeness." Aurelius explained, standing by Malefor.

"My... likeness?" Malefor asked.

"Yes young one, you're very important after all. The Master Mason shares what many in the realms feels right now, hope and admiration for you."

"But... Master if I may, what have I really done to deserve this? I'm barely getting through training and I haven't really..."

"Nonsense Malefor, your mere existence brings them hope. You see young one, legends speak of you, speak of this mighty purple dragon which is supposed to suppress the forces of darkness and bring about a new golden age to our world. We live in a time where the darkness has started to show itself again, and people are worried, afraid. They see you as a beacon of hope, something to look up to, somebody to save them."

Malefor looked at the ground, a little overcome with the idea of it all. It was true, in recent years, well, more than recent, several unexplained creatures had begun to roam the realms, causing terror and havoc, especially in the east. Those who lived in the realms and even beyond in Avalar and the Islands were feeling uneasy about this... especially since the creatures matched the descriptions of those who would bring an end to this cycle through destruction and death. He understood why many felt afraid and were uncertain... but did he really have all the answers? He wasn't even sure of himself, but so many people were counting on him.

"If you believe so Master." Malefor bowed to Aurelius, accepting this for the time being. He was unsure of it... but Aurelius sure believed in him, and that was enough for the time being.

"Very good Malefor, come I am sure you're famished after that long flight. We shall prepare a feast for you and the others here at the Temple at once before getting you ready for the next phase in your training."

"Master, may I ask what is this next phase?"

"We've shown you the basics of fire and combat with your claws, but now it is time to refine your techniques and teach you different ways to use your abilities. You will now train with some of the best these realms have to offer." Aurelius lead him out of the central room and beyond to a room with a small circular pool in the middle. Malefor stopped to peer at it for a bit before Aurelius ushered him onwards. They passed through several more rooms before arriving at a room similar to the one at the entrance but on a smaller scale with stone tables lining the walls and a glass dome sitting at the top, much like in the entrance room as well.

Within the room sat a few dragons and dragonesses, all looking much older than Malefor and all looking like they were gifted in some aspect or another. There were only a few of them, less than about 8 or so.

"These are our apprentices, training to one day become the top of their elemental grade, masters of their elements. This is our future Malefor, and you will train side by side with these dragons." The group of dragons turned to look at Malefor, some of them looking at Malefor with disdain, some with excitement. Some were... harder to read then others. One of the dragons, a fire element obviously, looked at him with a stare that could destroy concrete. Malefor could feel his eyes sizing him up, piercing his very being... He could tell all of them were older than 20 years, some younger perhaps but all around that age. They were double his size and all indeed frightening.

"You will get to know each of them well over the next few years before we begin your next phase." Malefor nodded, looking at them before moving with Aurelius to the other side of the room. The dragons continued to watch him before talking amongst themselves and breaking up to meet with their respective guardian.

Malefor sat at one of the tables by himself as Aurelius had gone to sit with two other dragons Malefor didn't recognize, probably other residents of the temple. He looked at the wall before him, seeing a few leaves that had grown along it and were slowly overtaking the table. Malefor wondered how many more years or even months of un-attendance before this whole table would overtaken by the leaves and growth.

"Hey you!" A voice called out, grabbing Malefor's attention. Malefor turned, seeing the flame dragon from before walking up to him. He stopped beside Malefor, towering nearly a foot above him, peering down onto him.

"Can I… help you?" Malefor asked, feeling intimidated by his larger form.

"You're the one they keep talking about right? You're Malefor."

"Yeah, that's me."

"Listen and listen good… I'm the one who is going to be the top fire apprentice here. I have been training for years for this apprenticeship and I won't let someone like you ruin those chances… do I make myself clear?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Malefor said, looking confused.

The dragon shoved Malefor into the table, growling a bit.

"Just stay out of my way." He said before walking away, shoving past another dragon who watched him leave before sighing and walking over to Malefor.

"Don't mind him, he can be a hot head sometimes." He said, helping Malefor up. Malefor rubbed his side where he hit the table, shaking his head. Malefor looked at the new dragon, he looking to be a darker shade of green, an Earth Dragon. He had several sets of horns coming from his face and neck, forming more jagged face. He was obviously from Peace Makers.

"What's his problem?"

"He's just got a stick up his ass. His name's Darius. He's actually nice… once in a while. Seems you did something to piss him off."

"Like what? I haven't done anything!"

"Seems that you've learned fire, incredibly fast. So fast that it's all everyone's talked about. You mastered fire projection, something Darius over there's been working on for months. He comes from a well to do family from Artisan's and his father was insistent on him seeking this apprenticeship. Guess he feels like you're a threat to him."

Malefor shook his head.

"I don't see how that threatens him…"

"It's no secret he's got aspirations for being the next Fire Guardian… maybe he thinks if you become the master of fire, he'd never see that chance."

"That's… stupid! He's got a lot more he needs to take care of before worrying about me if he's thinking of Guardianship…"

"Yeah, yeah I know. You gotta understand though… he comes from a family that strives for such perfection, he's got to be feeling the pressure. There's no such thing as second place in his family. Just… avoid him if you can. Other than that, welcome to the Temple! The name's Magnus."

"Nice to meet you… Magnus. I'm Malefor."

"Oh yeah, we've all heard about you… we've all been excited to meet you. Well… most of us. There are some who are like Darius and are weary of you leaping ahead of them in the Guardian's eyes."

Malefor frowned.

"I don't want to intrude… I never had a choice in the manner…"

"Yeah I know… don't worry about them though."

"How many of you are here at the Temple?"

"Apprentice wise? There are only about 8 of us in total, but we're not the only ones here. There're also a great number of older dragons who were like us at one point but have gone to the next level of their training or are trying to learn a special art that you can't learn anywhere else. There are also a number of Guards who protect this place and… well that's it. There aren't too many dragons here, we're a little isolated here in the mushroom forest. I think the Guardian's like it that way."

"I would imagine… "

"Hey, looks like they're bringing out the food for us, let's go get some." Magnus motioned over to a few plates the Fire Guardian presented for the others to eat. Malefor smiled, smelling the food. It had been a while since he had eaten… He nodded to Magnus.

"Oh I think I'll do just that…" Malefor said, making Magnus smile.

"That's the spirit, I think you'll love it here."

They both trotted over, joining the small line of dragons that all went to get their plate of food ranging from cooked dear to several selections of fish. Malefor hoped Magnus was right… this place seemed incredible but Malefor knew in the back of his head that this was only the first day and if his encounter with Darius was any forerunner, things would be very tough here for him...

The rest of the day was spent in orientation, spent being shown different parts of the temple and where he'd be staying. The temple was much larger then he once thought, many tunnels spanned the underground and the many structures that dotted the peninsula. Many sections sat vacant, hallways looking like they once had a use, but after many years had fallen into disservice.

Malefor walked from the Pool of Visions into the main dojo, seeing a few figures moving about in the room. He could see a few of the apprentices here, practicing obviously under the supervision of a Guardian. One apprentice was in the session right now, knocking over several enchanted dummies that came his way. The other apprentices sat off to the side, watching and taking note while the Guardian gave suggestions to the apprentice in session. This particular dragon, was Darius. Malefor frowned at that, but walked to the side. He had hoped to do a session after arriving, so he could stay sharp. He didn't want to lag behind just because he was new here. He also wanted to get a good look at the dojo, see how he was going to be training.

The dojo here was much smaller than the one in Arcantheus. It might have been… a fourth of its size. Obviously this was because the temple here was much smaller than the grand temple in Arcantheus. He didn't think a temple that size would fit on the small peninsula…

The others noticed his arrival, each looking annoyed or miffed at the idea of him being there. Darius was the most annoyed, stopping his session altogether to watch Malefor enter the room. He immediately went back to his actions, knocking a dummy so hard it flew into the wall nearby and exploded, clearly a show of force. Malefor merely sighed.

"No showing off Darius, one does not win battles using all their force in one hit." Berylsythe said, commenting on the action. Darius huffed, adjusting himself before knocking another dummy down. Malefor watched Darius, taking in his every move. He was clearly talented, easily knocking over the dummies with little effort. He even managed to get a trio of the larger dummies with a single hit. Well, he almost did. His attack scathed the third one, not defeating it. Still, he was above the dragons he had seen at the elemental academy in Arcantheus. Malefor guessed that you had to be that good to even qualify to be an apprentice.

"Very good Darius you are improving. You are lagging though, you're last time was better than this one."

"Sorry master, I was slightly distracted." Darius said, scowling in Malefor's direction.

"Make sure it doesn't continue, you can't allow yourself any distractions in battle. One slip, and the enemy can take you in a single blow. Remember that."

Darius nodded, the other apprentices nodding as well.

"Well now, since Malefor is here, why don't you come and have a session?" The fire guardian turned towards Malefor, causing him to perk up.

"Wait, I was next master Berylsythe." One of the apprentices said.

"Yes, yes, though I would like you to watch Malefor since he is here. He might be younger then all of you but he is qualified to be here and I believe each of you can learn something from him."

Malefor nodded, walking towards the center of the dojo. The others grunted and spoke softly amongst themselves, obviously miffed.

"Right then, Malefor when you are ready." The guardian stepped back, several dummies spawning as he left the main area. Malefor assumed the appropriate battle position….

He was ready.

At once they charged, each moving towards him in many directions. He counted at least seven smaller dummies with three larger towards the rear. He sprang into action at once, leaping towards one dummy and kicking off of its chest, sending it down onto the floor and launching himself into the air. He twirled around while airborne, breathing a jet of fire onto two below him, scorching them under the intense flames. He landed on his feet in-between two, the dummies making swipes as soon as he hit the ground. He dodged one blow that came from behind while grabbing the one immediately in front of him and throwing him around in a circle, causing him to collide with the one behind them and send them crashing down.

Malefor followed this up by spitting fire onto him, eviscerating them in no time. The final two leapt at him, Malefor able to swipe his tail around and cut one clean in half. The other dodged the attack and instead grabbed at Malefor's horn. Malefor tucked his head down with the dummy's arm attached, tossing him into the air with one powerful stroke. Once airborne, Malefor leapt up and impaled the dummy through the stomach, all the while dodging an attack from a larger one that had finally made its way into the fray.

Flapping his wings, Malefor was able to land on the back of the larger one, planting his hind-legs onto its back and thrusting forwards with great strength, sending it stumbling forward and towards its two comrades who raced to attack Malefor. Malefor now hovered where the larger dummy used to be, he smiling at the dummies while bringing his fore-legs up. He had been practicing this attack for some time now, let's see if it paid off…

Malefor twirled his paws in a circular motion, eliciting curious stares from the group of apprentices who had sat watching silently the entire time. Malefor closed his eyes , concentrating hard before applying energy to his talons. A small sphere of fire energy began to grow in his thrall, growing into a sizable orb before Malefor opened his eyes and cast it forward towards the larger dummies. The orb of energy traveled fast and true, impaling each dummy before traveling to the next, slicing through each one's gut with clean precision. The dummies visibly flinched as the orb sliced through each one before each of them came crashing to the dojo floor, exploding in a flurry of straw and enchantment energy.

Malefor landed on the floor, turning to look back at the apprentices. Many of them looked with a bit of surprise and astonishment that he was able to perform that maneuver. Darius had a look of astonishment before banishing it immediately, returning to his look of glum and malice. It made Malefor smile inside…

"Very well done Malefor! I barely just got done teaching you that maneuver and here you've mastered it! Very well done indeed."

The others scoffed silently, some continuing to look with curious amazement.

"Master, perhaps you could have Malefor perform that move again, I would like to see it." Darius said, surprising Malefor who turned quickly to look at the fire dragon. He merely smiled, looking at Malefor with a glum smirk. He was up to something…

"Very well, Malefor could you perform that move once more?" The Guardian turned towards Malefor, he answering with a simple nod. He turned back to the center of the dojo, watching a large dummy spawn opposite of him. With his back turned, he did not even see Darius move to his right and pull something off of a small crate against the wall.

Malefor watched the dummy begin its charge, slowly making its way towards him. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate while moving his paws again in a circular motion to start forming the energy. The orb once again formed, growing in size and power. Again, he opened his eyes and cast the orb forward, moving so now it would cut the creature in half rather then slice clean through. He was so focused on casting the energy forward he almost didn't notice as a crystal slid across the floor right under the dummy.

A displacement crystal! The crystal glowed a bright white as his orb neared, the crystal giving off a pulse of energy that interrupted Malefor's own, causing the orb to fall out of his control and fly clear past the dummy and back towards Malefor.

Malefor leapt out of the way, feeling the heat of the orb as it past only inches from him. He landed on the ground, quickly turning to see the orb headed right for the group of apprentices that had been watching with an intent gaze until now.

Some of them assumed defensive positions while others tried to move quickly out of the way. That orb was out of control, moving left then right, in every direction as it careened their way. There was no telling where it'd hit!

Malefor grunted, leaping up as he tried to think of anything that could possibly stop the orb, anything! He opened his mouth without even realizing it, attempting to breathe something, anything!

What came out of his muzzle surprised him more than the absolute feeling of cold that was now gripping his throat as opposed to fire. Ice shot out from his muzzle, ice! The ice streaked forward, catching the orb and negating the fiery effects of the orb, causing it to explode in midair, the energies dispersing.

Malefor sat, breathing heavily as he watched this, feeling the cold subside from his throat. Did… did he just do that…?

"Malefor… did you just breathe ice…?" Berylsythe turned towards Malefor, astonished.

"I… I think I just did…"

"Wait, wait, no dragon can wield two elements, that's just the fundamentals of our species... right? One apprentice asked, looking dumbfounded. It was true… no dragon could breathe two elements… only one. Just one.

"Well it appears Malefor can…" Berylsythe looked just about as astonished as each of the apprentices, unable to fathom what they had just witnessed. They almost didn't even turn when they heard crystals rolling on the floor nearby, Darius next to them, looking like he was 'trying' to pick them up after knocking the crates over.

"I thought I would try to get one ready… see how well Malefor could control his… ability…" Darius said, trying to act coy as a very upset Berylsythe walked over towards him.

"Darius I expect more from you, from your family. Interference with another's session is strictly forbidden, and you endangered the others here."

"I'm sorry Master Berylsythe… it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't Darius, you're supposed to be the best in your element. Act like it."

Darius visibly flinched at that, but preceded to bow out of respect. Malefor would have felt great anger at that moment… but he was still getting over the fact he just breathed a second element. Berylsythe turned towards Malefor, smiling wide.

"Aurelius will be pleased to hear this, and so will Fayveer. It looks like you'll be doing training with him now as well…"

Malefor nodded, watching one of the ice apprentices become annoyed. Oh great, now he'd have to worry about more than just Darius… Looked like today was going to get a LOT busier than he expected…

[Dysnc...]

[Done]

* * *

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

October 2, 2204 [UER Military Calendar]

8:37 AM [Local Time] (0837 Hr MLTY)

Mushroom Forest

* * *

"Hurry up slow poke!" Eatherine yelled back to Malefor as he tried to climb up a few rocks.

"My leg may have healed but it's still sore!" He yelled up her. She gave him a smug look, standing atop the rocks and looking down at him. He only continued to climb, ascending to her position. They had set out an hour or so ago from that cave, leaving it far behind. There were bound north, to Arcantheus. For that, according to Eatherine, they'd have to travel north past the Dragon Temple towards the mountain pass that served as the gate to the southern peninsula. From there, they'd head north into the Plains of Mandobar where they'd follow some ancient roads into the Dragon Kingdom. From there it'd be a day's walk to Arcantheus.

So far so good...

"Come on, I don't have all day…"

"I'm here, I'm here!" Malefor climbed the rocks, shaking his head as Eatherine just laughed, walking down through another path that carved its way through the mushroom swamps.

"How far out do you think that storm is?" Malefor asked, looking up to the clouds. He had been watching as a large set of grey clouds had slowly drifted in since sunrise. If it was a storm, they'd have to settle in while it passed. It wouldn't be wise to traverse a swamp in a storm, especially when it could flood so easily and wash away unsuspecting dragons to their doom…

"Probably only a few hours, we should find a cave or something before it hits. I'd hate to be caught in it." Malefor nodded.

"Maybe we should have just slept in this morning." Malefor joked, looking at the Dragon Temple in the distance as it loomed over them.

"No, you kidding me? That storm might've actually swept us out of the cave. You forget it's at the base of a gulley."

Malefor looked down at his scales, still tattered by the slip that he had fallen in earlier. It was slowly coming off, slowly chipping away to reveal his purple scales underneath. He couldn't wait to get this stuff off... He had grown used to it by now but he could for sure tell the difference as his scales were once again revealed to the world.

"Hey maybe we could go to the Dragon Temple over there, see if we can ride out the storm there." Eatherine stopped, looking up towards the Temple on top of the cliff.

"Oh no, no I don't think that's such a good idea…" Malefor stopped, remembering his last experience in the Temple.

"Why not? I don't think the Guardians would be heartless to turn us away."

"I… I don't have good experiences there." He rubbed his arm, looking at the ground. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok, what now? What happened at the Temple?"

"I… I don't want to talk about it."

"If you say so. We'll just have to find a cave then."

"Hey, I can see one up there!" Malefor pointed up onto a ledge above them where some of the rocks had collapsed, creating a small crevice large enough to serve as a shelter from the storm.

"Alright, let's go check it out." She leapt up onto a few rocks, climbing up to it. Malefor climbed up after her, flapping his wings a bit to catch up. Off in the distance they could hear low rumbles, the storm fast approaching.

"Man... that thing must've caught a wind or something, it's coming fast." Eatherine said before trotting into the small cavern.

"Least we can use this place to ride it out." Malefor said, looking around. Eatherine set her pack down that carried her belongings, inspecting the roof and walls.

"Looks pretty good, but we might want to patch some of these rocks here, they might leak water down into here." She pointed to where the roof wasn't a solid piece of stone but rather several pieces of different stones resting on top of one another.

"How will we do that?" Malefor asked.

"I'm an Earth dragoness... I'll take care of that. Go and grab us some food though, we might be in here a while and I don't want to have to use you for food, you're still covered in that slit stuff." Malefor laughed at that, shaking his head before turning back to the forest.

"I'll be sure to dip your food in the slit." He said, looking back at her.

"No, no, none of that." She turned to him, shaking her head before climbing on top of some rocks, using her abilities to slowly shift rocks and dust into place to seal the cracks. Malefor smirked at this before walking out of the cavern and back into the swamps.

The clouds had gotten much closer in the few minutes they had spent investigating the cave. She was right, the storm must've caught a strong gust of wind to be traveling this fast. It might hit them within the next few minutes. Malefor grunted, sprinting into the swamp to find food quickly.

His paws splashed in the pools of water that were common in the swamp, the water actually having increased and was submerging his entire paw rather than a small portion of it. Had the water level risen already? The storm hadn't even hit! The area they were in was downhill from the area the storm was hitting already, it was possible water was already making its way down here into the basin. He hoped their cavern was high enough to not get swept away in case this storm got REALLY bad.

He lifted his paw up, seeing the murky water drip off of it. It was kind of nasty looking but... hold on a second... His paw was purple again! He could see his scales again! He felt a sense of relief, knowing that the slit would soon come off of him completely. He considered the idea of rolling around in the water but its yellow color made him think otherwise... It'd probably be better to just sit in the rain then roll around in this stuff.

Another rumble in the distance caught his attention, snapping him out of his trance. He looked around, trying to find anything eatable to stockpile before heading back. He hadn't seen any animals, or berry bushes. He'd have to look further in...

Each step he took he could feel the wind at his back, slapping against him and giving him chills. The mushrooms around him swayed in the wind, slowly rocking back and forth. It had grown much darker too, the sun almost having been eclipsed by the black clouds as they had gotten closer, some of them not on top of him already. Birds chirped before a large flock flew away from a nearby roost, scattering around the forest. Malefor cursed at himself. He had just let some food get away...

He looked around again, trying to see if he could see any more birds or animals in the forest. He... could see something flying overhead in the distance. Was it a bird...? No, it was a... a dragon actually. A dragon? Who would be stupid enough to try and fly with that storm overhead? The dragon was pitch black, only some features visible to him but it wasn't a dragon he had seen before. He looked a little older then Malefor, maybe by just a year. Why was he out here in the first place? It didn't matter... Malefor doubted the dragon would hear him and he knew for a fact he couldn't fly up there. He didn't even dare gliding again after what happened last time...

There wasn't anything here, he'd have to search somewhere else for food. He moved over some vines, leaping into another puddle and looking around again. He didn't even notice that the dragon he had spotted earlier was actually flying low, towards him as he looked around the base of another mushroom, inspecting its bushes.

He was startled when he heard a splash behind him, spinning around rapidly to see the dragon behind him.

"Woah! Don't scare me like that!" Malefor said, almost leaping around the side of the mushroom to gain a tactical position, scrubbing that idea as he had to remind himself he wasn't in a battle situation.

"Sorry, I'm looking for someone and you're the first dragon we've ran into in the mushroom forest. Not many dragons live out here." The dragon said, looking him over.

"I don't live here, I'm passing through with a friend." Malefor said, relaxing a bit but on guard a little as he mentioned he was looking for someone.

"You shouldn't be out here, there's a storm coming in." The dragon said to him, looking up at the black clouds.

"Yeah... I noticed... We're just gathering recourses before we go and take shelter in a cave."

"You said you were with a friend, who's this friend of yours?"

"Oh, she's an Earth dragoness. We're traveling up north from Warfang."

"'Going up north from Warfang? Why would you go up there?"

"I'm looking... for something. We're going up north to find it." The black dragon looked at him with an odd look, lifting an eyebrow. "Who's this you're looking for anyway?" Malefor asked, trying to deflect from his statement.

"We're looking for the Dark Master, he's somewhere in this forest."

"The Dark Master? I thought that Spyro guy defeated him."

"He's back, and he's masquerading as a young dragon, like you and me. If you find any other purple dragons out here, be sure to tell us at the Temple immediately."

"The... Temple?"

"The Dragon Temple, yes. We're trying to hunt him down before he's able to return to full power."

"I see... well... I better go before this storm hits, we've got a lot of work to do..." Malefor turned quickly, trying to get away from him. If he was from the Temple, then Malefor had no desire to continue talking to him, at least in the sense that nothing good came from there. At least now, from what he could remember the place was amazing but now...? Whoever was in the Temple now for some reason had a vendetta against him and purple dragons in general. Why such hatred for purple dragons? That Spyro was a purple dragon, why was there hostility to him? Was it because he looked like this Dark Master? Malefor couldn't figure out why there was such hatred there for him... he hadn't done anything!

"Why don't you and your friend come with me, back to the Temple? It would be much safer there."

"No, I think it'd be better for us to stay put. It'd take too long to get back to the cave, then to the Temple. We're better off there." Malefor tried to play off the fact that he had no desire on stepping in the Temple, not while that "Cynder" was there. She had it out for him the most. That and... it was kind of true. With the rate that storm was approaching, it'd take too long to get Eatherine and fly off towards the Temple, assuming he could even do that.

"If you say so... hey, what's wrong with your tail?"

Malefor turned, looking at his tail as he had let it get submerged in the murky waters of the swamp without realizing it, the water having taken off some of the slit and revealing purple scales beneath.

"Oh... that? Must be something in the water... messing with my scales." This time though, the dragon didn't seem to buy it, walking over. Crap... He was going to have to get away quickly...

"It's not doing anything to me and we're the same color... you sure that-"

"Hey, look out!" Malefor quickly, pushed the dragon aside, a mushroom nearby collapsing into the area they were at. The wind was so strong several of the mushrooms were starting to topple over. Things were getting dangerous and Malefor had to get to the cave! He had landed in the water, picking himself up just as the other dragon was. Water covered Malefor's face, dripping off and obscuring his vision. He brought up a paw to whip away the water before opening his eyes, seeing the black slit dripping from his claws.

Uh oh...

"Hey... what the?!" The dragon saw this, seeing Malefor's purple face as the water had washed the slit away.

"I uh..."

"You're him! You're the Dark Master!" The dragon yelled, leaping at him. Malefor quickly leapt back, landing on the mushroom's fallen stalk to avoid his strike.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not the Dark Master!" Malefor panted as the dragon didn't seem to listen, instead charging a beam of purple energy

Oh no, oh no!

Malefor quickly leapt back as the beam split the air, hitting a mushroom behind him and splitting it into several pieces. Great! Just great! Malefor quickly sprinted away, trying to escape. He could feel the heat as the dragon continued to fire beams, each slamming into the water or a nearby mushroom, blowing it to pieces or splitting it in half.

The sounds of the beams impacting were only supplemented by another rumble as the storm was now right on top of them. Rain had started to fall, a light sprinkle right now but it was coming down in large droplets, meaning it was going to get worse, and quickly.

Malefor turned, seeing the dragon standing atop the fallen mushroom stalk from before, looking right at him. Malefor froze, seeing the dragon look at him with an amount of hatred only rivaled by Cynder. Their gazes were locked before the dragon lifted his head up and fired a beam right into the sky, the beam drowning out the storm and casting its light for all to see.

Malefor had to get away, he had to get away! He took this moment to run, run as fast as he could into the forest. More thunder roared above as the rain was starting to fall harder, his vision being obscured now from all the water coming down. He stopped in a small gorge, surrounded by tall rocks and mushrooms that went on forever. Where in the hell was he? Where was the cave?! Great, now he had lost Eatherine!

He looked around, quickly and sporadically to see if he was being followed. It was hard to see in the rain... and it was only going to get worse. With a low grunt he sprinted through the gorge, walking along a line of vines and roots that formed a bridge. Underneath water was starting to collect from the rain, growing higher and higher with each passing moment. More thunder rumbled as he reached the end, climbing up and over onto rocks, seeing more swamp ahead of him. He was completely lost now, nothing seeming familiar to him. He turned back, looking around to check for anyone again. The sky was black... nothing visible up there. Suddenly he saw a flash of lightning and within that flash he saw two silhouettes... two dragons. One of them looked like Cynder.

No, no he had to go! With renewed vigor he sprinted through the swamp, feeling the water level rising with each foot step he took in the murky waters. The rain had grown harder, his vision now restricted to a few feet in front of him. Each droplet of water felt like a rock hitting him, crushing him into the ground. The wind didn't help matters either, the gorges and small cloves that were common throughout the forest only making the winds stronger and faster. He felt like a force was pushing him back, each step feeling like an undertaking.

A beam split the air, landing nearby. He could only see the flash as a mushroom was ignited by it but quickly extinguished by the raging downpour. Had they seen him? Was that just a test shot? He had to keep moving...

Another beam landed a few dozen feet in front of him, causing two mushrooms to collapse in his path, blocking the way out. He grunted, leaping over the fallen mushrooms to get past them and to the next area. Another beam hit, landing right behind him. They knew where he was...

The water was almost up to his knees now, making it difficult to keep running. He had to get to higher ground, or at least to more solid ground... He tried to climb a nearby set of rocks, try to ascend a level up from the gorges he was going through but the dirt had been reduced to mud! He couldn't get a grip... He found himself tumbling back down into the waters with a large splash. He coughed, spitting out the water as he rolled back over, looking behind him.

There they were... The dragon from before sat hovering above the water, watching as the other dragon- Cynder- leapt into the water and right onto him.

"Now we've got you Dark Master... now you die!" She pressed her claws against his neck, shoving him back down into the water. Malefor gasped, trying to keep his head above the water.

"I don't understand! I'm not the Dark Master! Why do you keep calling me that? Why are you trying to kill me?!" This only enraged her, making her grab his head and shove it back down into the water. He coughed and gasped as the water flooded into his muzzle, making him gag on the foul tasting water.

"This is for all you've done to me, done to Spyro, done to all of us!" She grabbed his head and slammed it back down again before using her paw to hold his muzzle down into the water. She was going to suffocate him! He fought and struggled against her, trying to get free. He was now in a fully panic, oxygen leaving his body quickly. He didn't want to... but these people were out to kill him. He had to fight back. He had to survive...

He clenched his eyes shut before using his hind-legs to kick her in the stomach, sending her flying into the mud-covered wall. The other dragon dashed over after seeing this, trying to shove Malefor back into the mud. Malefor quickly rolled to his side right before, letting the dragon slam into the water and sink in. Malefor quickly leapt up and on top, keeping him pinned and using him as a jumping platform to get away.

Using the dragon he leapt up on top of the ledge he had been trying to get on top of for a while, climbing up and out of the muck below. He ran onwards, Cynder and the dragon slowly coming back to their senses.

"No! Don't let him get away!" She yelled, firing a beam at him. The beam slammed into a nearby mushroom, blowing it apart. He had to keep going… He couldn't stop.

Another beam landed nearby, blowing Malefor into the air and causing him to slam back down hard onto the muddy ground.

The two dragons flew up, firing beams down onto him. He rolled to avoid each beam, shielding his eyes from the tremendous light. He couldn't keep running… he had to fight them! He had to stand and fight… or else they were going to kill him. He had no other alternative…

Opening his eyes back at them he snarled, opening his muzzle and unleashing a stream of fire that leapt at them. The stream let out steam as the rain hit it, but the heat was enough to keep them back. They quickly recovered, swooping in towards him. Malefor stood up, bringing his claws to bare just in time for Cynder to land in front of him, trying to send him back down. She swiped at him, Malefor quickly reacting by catching her arm and twisting it. She yelled loudly from this, clenching her eyes shut. Malefor pulled her in and used her as a shield to deture the other dragon who was charging a bolt of energy. He stifled the bolt at the sight of Cynder covering him, giving Malefor the opportunity he needed. He tossed Cynder at him, knocking them both into the mud.

Panting, Malefor leapt up and unleashed another stream of fire that blanketed the both of them. The dragon erected a purple shield that deflected the fire, it flowing harmlessly around them. Annoyed, Malefor broke his attack and instead swooped in for an attack. The dragon lowered the shield in time to see Malefor immediately in front of him, kicking him away from Cynder and into the mud. Cynder, recovering from her daze looked up at Malefor who grabbed her by her sides and brought her up to him.

"Why do you pursue me? Why do you keep attacking me?!" He yelled at her. She looked at him for a second before snarling.

"You're the Dark Master… You're a monster! You deserve to die, for all you've done to us!"

"I am not the Dark Master! I have done nothing to you, I don't even know you!"

"Yes you have! You are the reasons for all the problems here! You've destroyed our kind… pushed us to extinction! This is all because of you, you damned monster!"

"What in the hell are you talking about?! My name is Malefor, not the Dark Master! I was born in Argus and trained at Arcantheus! I am NOT a monster!"

"So was the Dark Master." Malefor looked up, seeing the other dragon who had walked up by now, panting softly.

"No… no… I am not like that… I've never done anything wrong!" He tossed Cynder in the mud, panting himself as he could feel an overwhelming sense of dread and anger grip him. He hadn't done a damn thing! What were they talking about?!

"You trained an army of Apes, lead them to destroy our kind, your kind!"

"No, I never did such a thing!"

"You controlled our lives… destroyed them!" Cynder yelled, joining in with the other dragon.

"No! No! You're both lying!" He grunted, gritting his teeth as they both stood up, walking closer to him.

"There are only two purple dragons known to have existed, Spyro, and you."

"No, that is not true! I…" He looked down, remembering what Aurelius told him about the purple dragons. He was the first… but… now he was the second…? He had seen this Spyro, was he really the other only purple dragon…?

"You don't know… do you… " The dragon said, glaring at him.

"No! No! They… they said I was born for greatness! I would never do things… things like this!"

"You did… you've destroyed everything and everyone…" Cynder said, flexing her claws.

"No! I don't believe you!"

"You are the Dark Master…"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Malefor snarled, clenching his eyes shut and opening his muzzle. A bright light escaped his muzzle, lancing out towards the two dragons and blowing them apart from one another. The bright purple beam split the mushrooms, igniting several and singing the very ground it touched.

Malefor extinguished the beam, panting as steam rose from his muzzle. Before him sat a scene of destruction, of death. Smoke rose from the burned mushrooms and debris that lay scattered around him. The two dragons lay in the mud, motionless as rain fell upon them.

What… what had he done…? Did he… did he just really do that? What energy was that… He had never used that one before… Did he kill them…? He walked over to them, raising a paw out just in time to see Cynder move slowly. He flinched, backing up slightly. Her scales were burned, singed by his attack. His eyes widened as she snarled, looking at him with great rage. Steam rose from her mouth as she was now able to fully stand up.

"Y-you monster… I'll kill you…"

"No… no…" Malefor backed up more before turning and running. He could feel the rain and wind slap against him, holding him back, pushing him back to Cynder. Behind him he could hear her anger, her anguish… Beams of energy streaked past him, blowing rocks and plants apart on contact. He clenched his eyes, gritting his teeth. The wind was too strong, he couldn't get away…

He could feel it catching his wings, surging past his body. He clenched his eyes, trying to keep himself grounded but it was growing more and more difficult with the raging winds. They were catching onto his wing skins, threatening to send him airborne. Another blast rocked the ground, a beam landing right under Malefor. Malefor yelled out as the blast sent him into the air, right into the waiting arms of the raging winds. His wings were unfolded from the impact, catching the raging winds and sending him flying out.

He was panicked now… He was trying to orient himself, find his bearings but it was impossible while he was tumbling around in the winds above. He could see above him the clouds swrield and raged on, the storm growing in strength. The rain felt like fists against his scales as it was getting worse, and all the while he was at the mercy of the wind. Cynder flapped her wings, having no problem controlling herself in this maelstrom. She fired beams at him, each crisscrossing the air and coming close to him. He tried desperately to flap his wings, get away from the beams but it was so difficult to even orient his wings. The wind was too strong!

Finally he managed to put his body into a roll, avoiding one of the beams and narrowly dodging the other. He couldn't keep this up! He finally managed to open both his wings to catch the wind perfectly and orient his body to finally answer her attacks. He opened his muzzle, calling upon that mysterious energy he had just used. He could feel it boiling in the back of his throat, waiting to be unleashed. He fired at her, letting the beam cut through the air and burn anything in its path. She saw the beam and flapped her wings to get out of the way. The beam split the clouds behind her, thunder and lightning shooting out of the clouds behind it.

He canceled the beam and charged another, firing it at her just as she prepared another volley for him. By now he had managed to learn how to maneuver better, so he was now able to answer her attacks in kind and avoid her own as they exchanged their beams.

Lightning split the area around them, the storm only having intensified during their battle. Wind and rain swirled around them, the clouds churning with a certain blackness that made Malefor feel cold inside. Yet, with this darkness there was a certain illumination within the clouds, creating a light purple-orange look to them as it continued to rage. Another blast drew Malefor's attention as she was trying to draw closer to him, the wind proving difficult for her as well. Malefor thought he'd use this to his advantage, flapping his wings to grow closer but growling as he too had a problem drawing close to her. The intense energy they were generating in their fight was creating a cyclonic field in-between them, forcing them apart.

Cynder had stopped her attack, now only flapping her wings to keep herself up while seeming to concentrate on something else. What was she doing? He grunted, trying to fire another beam at her, missing horribly. She finally looked up after that, holding something in her paws which she was concentrating on heavily. She pushed her paws forward, a visible gust of wind making its way to him through the large cyclone. Malefor gasped, trying to shield himself from the field, only to feel his body get knocked out of the field and thrown into the sporadic winds and gusts of the storm. The wind knocked him around until he slammed into a rock, landing hard into a pile of mud.

Groaning, he slowly picked himself up, looking into the sky and seeing her form streaking towards him. She hovered close, firing a red field onto him. Malefor clenched his eyes as the field passed over him before opening them again, seeing Cynder in his face, her features and form having morphed into something he would attribute to a demon or deformed dragon, a snarl escaping her muzzle and sending chills down his spine. He gasped again, backing into the rock as he form seemed to envelop him, casting thoughts and images into his head... thoughts of death, of terrible things happening to him and his friends.

"No! NO!" He yelled, firing a beam through the confusion and hitting a startled Cynder who was actually hovering feet away from him. What the hell did she do to him?! He grabbed his face, clutching it. He could feel his heart throbbing... his adrenaline pumping through him. He opened his eyes just in time to catch Cynder falling into the forest below before recovering and pulling herself back up. Lightning flashed in the background, illuminating the torrent of rain that continued to dump onto the swamps. From his position he could see the lower regions of the swamps, where they had been earlier, flooded completely and being swept away in this maelstrom. He hoped Eatherine was alright...

He was drawn back upon the sight of Cynder flying back into the air. She didn't hesitate a moment before firing off another crack of energy. He leapt to the side, flapping his wings to get airborne again just in time to avoid the blast. With the heat at his back he sailed into the winds, opening his wings fully so he wouldn't tumble around haphazardly as he had before. Now he was able to control his flight, retaliating to Cynder's attack with his own, grazing her arm. She answered his attack and they once more dueled at long range with the beams of energy. Cynder didn't let this continue, however. She drew herself in close, collapsing her wings onto her body and letting the wind thrust her into Malefor. Malefor, still at the mercy of the winds, was incapable of stopping Cynder before she collided into him.

She grabbed onto him with her claws, snarling at him as they sailed into a mushroom, plowing through the upper part of it and splitting it in half. Malefor landed on his back, yelling out in pain as his body was tossed around like a rag doll on the ground. Cynder had broken her fall on Malefor, rolling off to the side before recovering completely, sprinting over to him. Malefor moaned, his already injured leg letting off a spike of pain when he tried to move it. Damn it, no! He had to move, he couldn't stop now!

He pulled himself up, gritting his teeth as he saw Cynder leap onto him, smacking his arm away. She clawed at his chest, chipping away at his protective chest plate.

"This is for all you've done to me! Done to Aaron, done to Spyro!" She reiterated his name with a blow to Malefor's face, sending his head down into the mud. Malefor coughed and let out a sharp gasp as she slammed his body down over and over, swinging her paws into him and clawing away into his exposed belly. He tried to fight back but the pain was overpowering. His entire body wasn't responding anymore, almost shutting down. He yelled out in sheer terror now, never having felt such fear like this in his entire life. He felt that at this moment, he was going to die. He could see images flashing through his head, images that were spurred by that attack Cynder had delivered onto him only earlier... They all felt familiar to him yet distant, like he had forgotten them. They were all the same though, all of them were of death, destruction... of darkness.

How could this be though...? How...?

There was only one... no... this... this was impossible!

"GET OFF OF HIM!" A loud voice cut through the rain, a female voice.

Eatherine!

He opened his eyes, seeing Cynder get tackled and sent into the mud. Eatherine stood atop of her, gasping as she flexed her claws.

"Don't touch him... don't you touch him!"

"Get off of me!" Cynder yelled, kicking her away. Eatherine landed hard, quickly getting up and whipping the mud from her face. "Why are you helping him...? He's the Dark Master!"

"What? Are you crazy the Dark Master is dead! Spyro killed him!"

"No... he's right there..." Cynder slowly got up, limping over to Malefor and picking up his head, now fully purple as the slit had washed away in the storm. Malefor could only pant, having to close one eye partially from the bruises he had received from Cynder. He saw her face shift into fear, then to anger.

"You... you were a purple dragon... you're the Dark Master! I... I can't believe I never made the connection!" She walked over, Cynder dropping his head back into the mud.

"Eather... Eatherine I... I..."

"SHUT UP! This whole time I've been harboring a monster! It's because of you my parents are dead! You caused all of this! This is all your fault!" She panted, walking around in a circle, trying to make sense of the entire situation. Cynder just stood back, watching as her mind became unraveled. Malefor closed his eyes, a tear shifting down his eyes.

"HOW COULD YOU?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE!" She punched Malefor in the gut, making him cough out and gasp, trying to refill his lungs.

"I..."

"SHUT UP!" She punched him again, this time in the face. His head was sent back hitting the other side. He clenched his eyes, his energy gone. He couldn't even lift his head anymore... his body... it was all dead to him...

Eatherine just stepped back, clenching her tear-filled eyes. She had no more words for him...

"It's alright... we've all been deceived by him..." Cynder said, walking over to set a paw on her shoulder comfortingly. Eatherine just sobbed, her body relaxing and drooping. All the energy and anxiety she had felt just moments ago flowed out, flowing through her sobs of anguish.

By now, Malefor was able to lift his head somewhat, seeing Eatherine in her state of despair. Cynder was looking up now, looking at Malefor. She walked over now, putting a paw on his neck. She pushed down, causing Malefor to gag and try to gasp for air. She was crushing his windpipe! He couldn't lift his arms to resist either... he just felt like... succumbing to death... that was all he had now as the anguish washed over him... he was starting to remember things... remember horrible things...

"Now... you will die..." He could vaguely see Cynder on top of him again, looking down with sheer anger. He could, at the corner of his vision, see a dragon figure flying away, and one flying towards them.

"Cynder! Don't do it!" Cynder turned at the voice, sounding frustrated. She wasn't able to say anything though as a new form flew in and grabbed her, lifting her off of Malefor.

"What?! No! Spyro I have him! Let me finish him!" She yelled, trying to fight against the new dragon who had flown in and restrained her.

"No Cynder! I need him alive!"

"No Spyro! I have to kill him! Let me finish him!"

"No Cynder... I need him..." Cynder continued to struggle as Spyro slowly pulled her off and onto the ground. Rain continued to fall onto them, splattering across Malefor's badly injured face. Thoughts raced through his head, ones he had long ago forgotten but were now just returning. The images... they just splattered across his mind, filling in the gaps that were once empty.

What had he done...?

Oh God... he could...

He could remember it now.

He remembered everything.

End of Chapter 07


	8. Coming to Reality

Chapter 08: Coming to Reality

Dragon Realms, Uncharted System

October 2, 2204

4:32 PM (Local Time) [1632 Hr MLTY]

Dragon Temple, Peninsula of the Dragon

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"Tell me! You have to remember!"

"Spyro! That's enough..." Terrador's low, rumbling voice flowed through the room, calming the purple dragon who sighed, setting a paw on Malefor's injured chest.

Since the incident outside, they had brought him here to the Temple. He was badly injured from his fight with Cynder, but thankfully Spyro had arrived just in time before she dealt a fatal blow. Spyro needed Malefor...

They had him chained up though, for precaution... chained to a stone which ensured his limbs were secured just right. Spyro... still felt uneasy having the Dark Master inches away from him. Even if he was in this... pathetic state. His breaths were rasping, and he was in great pain from the fight.

"You have to remember... what made you do this..."

"I told you... I c-can't..." Malefor let out a cough, feeling a chill flow through him. He had been dried off since the encounter but his entire body was chilled, and it didn't help he had numerous cuts and bruises that were exposed to the harsh environment of the swamps.

"You have t o remember something... what can you remember?" Spyro's tone had calmed over the past few minutes, calming from what had been a rage only moments earlier. Malefor could detect some frustration in Spyro's voice... perhaps he was looking for something. Why else would he bring him here? Why not just kill him now... rid the world of his evil... he had already done enough... he could remember every moment now... every... horrifying moment... He could remember Spyro now, Cynder, Aaron, Terrador and all the Guardians. He remembered this Temple, it's importance, its history... It now all made sense to him why things seemed out of place in his memories, dates and times so confusing...

It had been... 250 years since he was this age. He had been trained at Arcantheus, brought to the Dragon Temple and he had met all of his friends 250 years ago. They were... probably all dead by now. Dead from what he had done... the crimes he had committed against them... against all dragons...

Eatherine was right, Arcantheus was gone, destroyed by his very hand. The Temple too was not spared, these walls stained with the blood of many dragons, even if they didn't appear so. He could count 3 dragons he and his apes had killed in this very room, one of them a Guardian. All of them were victims, and he was their murderer.

"Why not just kill me... kill me now for what I've done..." Malefor finally said, his voice slightly horse from earlier.

"No! I need you Malefor! I need to know what drove you to darkness!"

"Because you fear it too?"

Spyro stopped in his tracks, stepping back a bit. He took in a deep breath before setting a paw on his chest again.

"I need to know. I need to know what happened to you. I need to know what is going to happen. You were brought back for a reason, I want to know what it is."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance Spyro..." Cyril, the Ice Guardian stepped forward, walking beside Malefor. Malefor looked up at the Guardian, seeing his blue icy features looking down onto him. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"I remember when we first met Malefor, here in this very room. Do you remember that?"

Malefor only nodded, unable to speak out anymore. His mind and body were now taken by anguish and despair, unable to communicate anything anymore.

"I remember when you arrived at the Temple, when I was still just an apprentice, learning from Fayveer and Aurelius. I remember you were shy, but aspiring to greatness. You tried too hard to impress Aurelius, as well as all of us. Do you remember?"

Malefor turned away, nodding slightly but his expression was still of great despair.

"How about the time when we first really talked to each other, deep in the mountains of Valliyor. Do you remember why we were there? It was part of our training if I do remember myself. I remember the chilling winds of that winter, it was... almost 2 years after you had arrived."

Malefor nodded again, a tear flowing down his eyes as the memories were coming back, coming back into focus. He felt like he had to dust them off, blow on them before he could really recount them. Cyril was correct though... they were in the mountains for training, and it was deathly cold there... so cold he could still feel it in his bones. He opened his mouth, letting out a sigh before starting to recount the events himself. No longer did he have to wait for dreams to fill in the gaps of his past... how he could recount all of the events...

No matter how pleasant or horrific they could be...

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December 3, 1967 | 7:31 AM (Local Time) [0731 Hr MLTY]

Valliyor Mountains, Peninsula of the Dragon

Subj: Malefor Age: 15 -1 Year Before Anomaly

* * *

"You really think we'll find it in this direction? I think the Guardians were just playing tricks again." Cyril stepped in the snow, standing against the wind as it hit him, peering at the younger dragon who looked like he was having a tough time standing in the winds but persisting.

"I know it's this way, my gut's telling me..."

"Yeah but your "gut" got us lost for an hour or so there... I dare think Darius and Magnus have gotten the head start on us by now... "

"No I think they're lost right now... I know where I'm going." Cyril sighed at this, shaking his head.

"Why did Aurelius pair me with you..." Malefor smirked at that, stepping up onto a small rock and peering into a valley below. They had arrived here at Valliyor Mountains a month ago as part of his training. Valliyor was where the Winter Tundra was located, one of the Kingdoms of Avalar and Aurelius thought it best if the others accompanied them here for his training. The Avalonians wanted to see how Malefor was progressing, and the Elders were quite persistent on Malefor heading out immediately... Aurelius of course was displeased but did so anyway, not wanting to anger the Elders.

So far they had been staying at the lavish town at the foot of the Citadel where the Kingdom was located and it had been quite nice there. The residents were welcoming but Malefor could sense a feeling of reservedness or even resentment from some of the citizens. Dragons weren't the most welcomed species in Avalar after all, but over the past few years that resentment had faded and there was an overall calm of welcome and joy from Vallyor's citizens. All these years of resentment towards the Realms seemed to fade, and Malefor hoped that in the coming years Avalar and the Realms could finally coexist peacefully and happily.

So far, Malefor had been training openly at their small dojo, in front of the King there and his court. They had been satisfied, but now they had been entrusted with a duty, one the King was eager to see Malefor and the others complete. The other apprentices were... upset to say the least about their new assignment. A few of the villagers near the Winter Tundra had come down with a strange sickness, one that the local healer said could be cured by the labaith herb. Normally... this herb only grew in the south, like near the shores of Warfang and within the swamps as well. There was a different kind of labaith herb, one that could survive the harsh conditions here in Valliyor, but it was much rarer and said to be more potent. They were to find the herb, and bring it back to the Castle. 'Castle' was hardly the right term, fortress was more like it. Well... somewhat like it. The fort was built at first to protect the peninsula from attacks long ago by the Avalonians but now sat as a gateway into Valliyor from the east and was used as the main gate now by the dragons who flew in.

Malefor turned back to the valley in front of him, not helping but to shiver slightly from the cold temperatures. The morning sun slowly drifted up into the sky, illuminating the snow and casting soft shadows against the landscape. Least the sun was out, yesterday it was completely cloudy and snowing... not the best conditions. If it weren't for his fire ability, he'd have frozen over long ago...

"Come on, you're going to freeze if you stand up there too long..."

"I think we should go this way." Malefor leapt down, trotting down into the small valley below.

"We're going straight into our own peril... but alright..." Cyril quickly followed, flapping his wings slightly to get the snow off of them. Cyril was almost twice the size of Malefor, at least bulk wise. Malefor almost felt intimidated being near any of them, they were so large compared to him. Though, so far he'd been able to compete with any of them and exceed some of them. This of course made Darius more aggressive against Malefor and pitted the two of them into a deep rivalry that spread through the entire training course. Each move Malefor would make Darius would one up him, then Malefor would do the same. It was never ending... some of the other apprentices thought of it amusing while others like Cyril hated it because it only put pressure on them to keep up which hurt some of the others who didn't learn at the pace of Malefor and Darius.

He walked in the snow now, following by Cyril as the winds continued to slap against them. The sun was slowly cresting up, noon approaching. Even if the sun was out... it was frigid cold. They walked through the valley until they reached another forested area. Trees went off as far as they could see, two ledges going on either side of another small gulch that got deeper further on, almost going into a small canyon. If they fell and weren't able to catch themselves before hitting the bottom... they might actually die. That was... that was a pretty far drop.

Malefor walked along its length, looking down into the valley below as it grew deeper and deeper with each step.

"I get the feeling you're just trying to lead us into peril so you can compete with Darius." Cyril said with a sigh.

"No... I'm just trying to see if there aren't any herbs growing from the cliff walls. You aren't scared of a little drop, are you?"

"No but with you, yes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing..."

Malefor shook his head, turning down to look at the cliff face. True, it was a long shot but these herbs had been known to grow along cliff sides, and could survive the harsh winds attributed to it. Looking back up, Malefor saw something glimmering in the snow... something blue. He walked a little more towards the source, the winds having picked up in the past few minutes and were kicking up large amounts of snow, obscuring their vision slightly. He could see behind the cloud of snow... that blue essence still there.

"I say we should be looking in the thick of the forest, I know those herbs grow there where they are sheltered from the harsh winds." Cyril suggested, walking alongside Malefor who continued to stare outward.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Cyril started to get annoyed, waving his paw in front of Malefor's face. Malefor grunted, taking a step back. "What the hell are you looking at?" Cyril asked, turning to where Malefor had been looking. Malefor didn't respond, instead focusing harder.

He could see... a figure... that figure... It was that dragoness he kept seeing... She sat there, in the snow looking at him through the snow. He had continued to see her over the past few years, here and there. He usually only saw her if she had valuable insight for him, or if there was something there... something important to him...

He lunged forward into the snow, chasing her image.

"Woah! Where are you going?!" Cyril asked, almost getting knocked down by Malefor.

"It's this way! I think they're this way!" He yelled back, sprinting now.

"What?! How the blazes do you know?!" Cyril chased after Malefor, trying to shield his eyes slightly from the raging snow as the winds were picking up around the valley.

Malefor continued chasing the dragoness, her image slowly fading in and out across the ledge until he saw her leap down into the abyss. Malefor stopped where she had leaped, peering down.

Nothing... he saw nothing... He only saw a steep drop that looked fatal to anything that wasn't able to catch itself and fly away. He did see... a crevice, a small hole in the rocks. Snow whipped against the rocks below, kicking up more snow, only impairing his vision more.

"Hold on, I'm going to look at something..." He said to Cyril who was just running up, coming to an abrupt stop next to Malefor.

"What? What're you talking about...?" Cyril asked, panting slightly. Before he could get an answer, Malefor was already airborne, flapping his wings to get a better look at the little crevice in the rocks. He flew near the rocks, gripping slightly to the vines that jutted out of the rocks. He could see there was a light coming from the crevice... what was giving off the source...? Malefor flew closer, peering inside.

Inside, he saw it was lined with the herb... every inch was just absolutely covered! How did the herbs grow so rapidly? It didn't look like much sunlight or nutrients got in here... not to mention the winds! Yeah, the herb was known to be able to survive the harsh conditions but this valley seemed to just amplify the winds to where he would have thought they would have been blown out long ago. Even here, sheltered in the crevice Malefor didn't think the sunlight here was adequate enough...

Wait, what was that?

Malefor peered in deeper, seeing where the light was coming from. It was a... little crystal sitting near the back of the crevice that was illuminating the entire crevice. It wasn't so much reflecting the sunlight from the outside so much as it was giving off light... Yeah it might've been one of the crystals and gems that grew all over the surface of the realms but this one seemed... brighter and pure white. He had never seen a crystal glow as brightly as this one...

Malefor reached in, slowly grasping at the crystal. It gave off a bright light, brighter then what it had already been generating. Malefor gasped, drawing his hand back. The crystal dimmed, returning to its original state, the herbs around it seeming to react by shaking softly.

"What is it? What do you see down there?" Cyril asked, now flapping his wings to get airborne. Malefor breathed in for a second before leaning back.

"I found them! A lot of them! This'll be more than enough!"

"What? Oh wow..." Cyril saw the herbs now, hovering next to Malefor. "How did you know these were here...?"

"I didn't..."

"Hey boys, what did you find?"

Malefor and Cyril both turned, seeing Darius and Magnus hovering behind them.

"None of your business Darius." Malefor said with a bit of malice in his voice.

"Well, it looks like you've found those herbs, more then enough to satisfy what the Guardians had asked for. I don't think you'll mind if we take them..."

"Knock it off Darius, he found them fair and square." Magnus said, turning to Darius.

"He found them, but it doesn't mean he has them yet... How about a compitition for them, eh Malefor? You could probably use that after your humiliating defeat yesterday to me in the arena..."

"Come on Darius, this is for the sick Avalonian, there's no need for this-"

"Done, let's do it." Malefor cut off Cyril before he could finish his sentence, making him sigh and fly backwards.

"No, Darius, the Guardians have forbidden this! There shant be fighting between any of us!" Magnus grabbed Darius's arm, who quickly tossed him aside, snarling.

"May I remind you he's not one of us... he's their pet. I think Aurelius's pet can defend himself... can't he? Or maybe he's just too weak..."

Without another second, Malefor leapt forward, pushing Magnus out of the way and colliding into Darius. The two flew through the air, Malefor trying to get on top of him throughout the entire process. Darius managed to shove Malefor off, flapping his large wings and unleashing a fire ball onto Malefor. Malefor, still tumbling from being shoved off, wasn't able to dodge the fireball in time. It hit, scorching him and sending him into a daze. He landed back on the ridge where Cyril was, quickly getting up and shaking his head.

Darius merely smirked at him, flapping his large developed wings proudly. If he could cross his arms, he would be at that very moment. Malefor snarled, taking flight again and sailed right for Darius once more.

"You still don't learn your lesson..." Darius said lowly before flapping his wings to get up above Malefor who was now where Darius was, flapping his wings to slow himself and pivot his head up to see Darius above him. Darius unleashed a jet of fire down onto Malefor who flapped his wings to the side to avoid, grunting before firing back with his own jet of fire. Darius was forced to flap his wings back, avoiding the fire just as Malefor had.

Malefor didn't even let Darius retaliate, sailing through the smoke trail generated by his fire attack, colliding into Darius and throwing him down onto a nearby tree. Darius hit the tree hard along his back. Malefor sailed in again, firing shards of ice towards Darius, they sailing down towards the dragon. Darius growled, flapping his wings and knocking the shards off course before it ever hit him. Malefor tried to hit Darius again, slamming right into his gut. Darius countered however, using his powerful tail to swat Malefor away and into another tree. Malefor hit the tree and slammed into several of the branches as he tumbled down. He used his claws to catch onto one of the larger branches, stopping before hitting the ground again.

Darius hovered nearby, smirking down at him again.

"You're slowly learning, but you're still nothing more than a pet to the Guardians. You have no real power..."

Malefor let go of the branch, hovering again.

"At least I'm trying... you're over there... angry that you can't become a Guardian..."

This obviously miffed Darius, who's facial features went from smug and confident to glaring and full of malice. He immediately flew down at Malefor, slamming him into a tree and clutching onto his neck.

"I will become a Guardian, you mark my words. It flows in my blood... you... you're just a pet. You squander the status the Guardians have given you for whatever reason... still too weak to do anything. I will show you what a true dragon can accomplish..."

Malefor just grunted, grabbing at Darius's arms and trying to pull him away.

"That's what I thought... pathetic. You never earned this spot... this prestige the Guardians give you... tell me Malefor, what elemental academy did you go to?"

"None..."

"I thought so... tell me then, what feat of mastery or great challenge have you done to prove your worth, to earn your spot as an apprentice to the Guardians... what have you sacrificed in order to get here?"

"Nothing..."

"Then why... why do the Guardians hold you like a pet?! They say you're some chosen one, chosen for what? What did you do to get chosen?!" Darius slammed Malefor into the tree again, making him gag.

"I've toiled all my life... to have a spot here... and you come along one day and you're suddenly some hero, some chosen savior for all of us!"

"I never asked for this! I never asked to come here, I never asked to train under the Guardians!"

"Then why are you here?! Why do they hold you up with such grace?! You're nothing compared to me, of any of the other apprentices! You are an insult to the dragon temple, yet they build the walls to bare your image!" He slammed Malefor's head into the tree, growling in anger.

"You have been given so much, yet you squander it! You don't deserve the Guardian's admiration! You don't deserve it!" He slammed his head again into the tree, sending a shock through his body. Darius released Malefor, letting him slide down into the snow. Darius flew down, hovering right above him, looking at him with a look of great disdain. Malefor slowly sat up, breathing hard as pain rocked his body.

"You are an embarrassment to all dragons. I hope the Guardians discover just who you are... someone who isn't capable of understanding the great gifts they have to offer. A disgrace to the title you've been given... You're a disgrace to whatever family you have left, I'm sure after all this they'd be ashamed to ever show their faces in public ever again..."

Malefor gritted his teeth, immediately leaping up and out of the snow, tackling Darius into the snow nearby.

"Don't you dare say anything about my family!" Malefor yelled, shoving his paw onto Darius's throat.

"Oh, hit a nerve did I? Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

Malefor couldn't stand it, couldn't stand him. With a growl he leapt up off of Darius and came back down with great force, knocking the air out of him before rolling Darius onto his stomach and using his horns to send him into a rock. Darius let out a grunt, rolling back down into the snow. He got up, snarling at the young dragon.

"Alright, come at me you little whelp!" He challenged. Malefor was so eager to oblige...

Malefor leapt forward through the snow towards the larger dragon, seeing Darius take up a defensive posture. He could tell Darius was planning to use Malefor's momentum against him so he could slam into the rock behind him. As Malefor grew near, he could see Darius's paws tense up, about to move... to the left!

As soon as Malefor was in striking distance, Darius moved, indeed moving left as Malefor had predicted. Malefor smirked to himself as he saw this, as soon as his paws touched the ground again he shoved himself in Darius's direction, using his horns to slam right into his chest. Darius leapt back at this, instead using his paws to slam Malefor away. Malefor reached up, grabbing Darius's forelegs and brought the larger dragon forward. Darius pulled back, not wanting to let Malefor gain the upper hand, using his hind-legs to kick Malefor's smaller frame. Malefor grunted, getting hit but rolled in the snow to recover quickly, leaping back forward and charged into Darius once again. Darius was going to use his wings to blow Malefor back but Malefor decided he was going to try something else. Using a technique Fortisum taught him, he leapt up and over Darius's wingspan, rolling his body up into a ball and using his force to slam into Darius. Darius, who was still flexing his wings to try and blow Malefor away could only watch as he drew closer and collided right into Darius's face.

Darius fell into the snow, Malefor not letting him catch a moment's rest. Malefor quickly grabbed Darius while rolling off of him and threw him against another large rock. Darius cried out in pain, trying to get back up. Malefor slammed him again, grabbing him and slamming his back right onto the hard rock. Darius cried out again, blood starting to stain the blood as Malefor repeatedly slammed his body against the rock. Anger and rage were flowing through Malefor's mind, a great hatred for Darius spurring his actions. He wanted to make Darius eat his words, eat everything he had done to him, he was going to show him what happens to people who would do so much harm to others for their own gains.

Darius, still crying in pain, finally managed to move his legs, kicking right into Malefor's gut and sending him back into the snow.

"You... you little bastard..." Darius said, limping a bit in the snow as his back was bloodied and bruised, a few droplets of blood dripping down onto the pure white snow. Malefor didn't respond, only getting back up and looking at him with a glare of hatred.

"I'll kill you!" Darius opened his mouth, unleashing fire towards Malefor, slamming into him with great force. Malefor kicked away, landing face first into the snow while Darius rolled away.

"There they are!" Magnus said, spotting the two of them on the ground. Cyril flew in two, landing beside them.

Cyril dashed over to Malefor, grabbing onto him while Darius was subdued by Magnus.

"Enough Darius! That's enough!" Magnus yelled, Darius flailing his arms around to get free.

"Get off! I am going to kill that little bastard!" He yelled, blood dripping from his back.

"Listen to yourself man! Calm down! This is forbidden!" Magnus yelled again, trying to use his larger size to keep Darius down.

Malefor just sat, sitting with Cyril holding him down while glaring at the fire dragon, hatred coming out of his eyes. Cyril could only watch too, seeing Darius in his state as well as the blood rock just behind him.

"Get OFF of me!" Darius yelled before his body began to glow bright red.

"What is he doing?!" Cyril asked, beginning to back up himself.

"He's going to fury! Get back!" Malefor yelled, pulling on Cyril's arms.

Magnus was still trying to hold down Darius when the light became too bright to see anything, blinding all of them. The wave washed over them, heat and energy sending them flying off into the forest. Trees snapped and broke from the immense pressure and heat, all collapsing down in a burning heat as the shockwave went deep into the forest.

Malefor grunted, slowly picking himself up. His whole body shivered, feeling the heat still coating his body. Snow covered him, though most of it in the area had been melted, bare ground now exposed to the air. Nearby he could see Cyril laying nearby, his chest slowly rising and falling but he wasn't moving.

At least he was alive...

He turned, seeing where Darius was, sitting on a piece of ground that elevated him slightly, the blast having eroded the ground in all directions around him. Magnus was nowhere to be seen, possibly thrown away from Darius like Malefor and Cyril had been. Though, where would he be? Off behind Darius Malefor could see the trench from earlier, exposed now as the trees surrounding it had been blown away in the blast. Had he...? Oh no...

Malefor grunted, getting up and running, one of his legs still numb and making him run in an awkward limp. Cyril was getting up now too, slowly grunting as he saw Malefor dashing towards the trench. Darius was starting to move now too, his body slowly turning to track Malefor.

"Darius no!" Cyril yelled, Malefor turning at the sound. Darius was moving into a sprint right at him!

Malefor tried to dodge but Darius impacted first, knocking him into the dirt.

"You will die!" Darius yelled.

"No Darius! Don't do this!" Cyril yelled, grabbing onto Darius's arm as he brought it up to strike Malefor. Cyril used his ice powers, chilling Darius's body to slow his movements. Darius gritted his teeth, trying to move but the super cold temperatures were restricting his muscles. He managed to counter with heat, re-energizing his muscles and striking Cyril in the chest, sending him back. Darius turned, panting over Cyril as he slowly got back up. Malefor quickly picked himself up, stumbling over to the cliff's edge.

He threw himself onto the ground and looked over, seeing the vast expanse below him. Just beneath him, he could see a battered form dangling from a few vines and roots, hitting against the rocky walls. It was Magnus!

"Magnus!" Malefor called down to him, Magnus not responding in any way as his body just dangled in the vine. He must've been thrown down this way, and gotten snared here... He had to help him!

"Malefor look out!" Cyril yelled in a pant. Malefor turned, seeing Darius just over him, poised to strike again.

Malefor rolled to the side, letting Darius slam his claws into the frozen ground.

"What's the matter Malefor, lost your game?! What happened to the great savior?!"

"Enough Darius, we need to help Magnus!" Malefor yelled back, stepping in a defensive posture. Darius ignored him, instead turning his body and coming back at him. He swung his claws, heat energy emanating from each swipe. The heat struck Malefor, singing his scales somewhat as Malefor leapt back to dodge before rearing back and bringing his claws down onto the larger dragon. It didn't do much to stop Darius, however, as he took Malefor's blow then swung his body out, tossing Malefor like a toy into the melted snow.

Darius slowly made his way over to Malefor, only to yell out as Cyril fired a beam of ice into his back. Darius fell, cringing before turning to face Cyril. Cyril stood his ground, panting.

"You have to stop Darius... stop this madness!"

"Never!"

"You're a selfish fool! Do you think the Guardians will ever train you to be like them if you act like such a child?! Think about what you're doing!"

"I am... I am going to end him!" He pointed a claw to Malefor, hatred hanging from his every word. Malefor panted, anger running through his own veins. He wanted to end Darius, end him so bad... He wanted to show him the potential he had... show him why Aurelius entrusted him so much...

He slowly got up, energy whipping around his body. He could feel his head throbbing with each motion, but he was just ignoring it, trying to focus.

"You don't deserve to become one..." Malefor managed to say. Darius turned quickly, bringing his claws to bare but he couldn't defend against Malefor's strike. Malefor brought his claws down, energy laced with his strike. The force knocked Darius back into the ground, scraping against the crushed dirt.

Malefor didn't stop there, he flew up above Darius and came down hard onto his exposed gut, striking hard against his stomach scales. His scales cracked and knocked the air out of Darius. Darius managed to strike Malefor away, though Malefor had already recovered, rearing his head back to fire a beam at him.

"Malefor, wait!" Cyril called, but Malefor couldn't hear him. He wanted to bad to end Darius... to show him what he was capable of. If he died, so be it... He fired the beam of pure heat, the beam striking Darius and eliciting a cry of agony from him. His body twitched and spasmed from the beam's impact and damage.

"MALEFOR!" Cyril tackled Malefor to the ground, breaking the beam and sending them both feet away from Darius. Darius's cries of agony stopped, his body blacked from the beam and still twitching from the nerve damage brought on by the extreme heat. He breathed in raspy breaths as he relaxed, still alive.

"Let me go, let me go!" Malefor yelled to Cyril who held him down.

"Enough Malefor... let's help Magnus..." Malefor clenched his teeth before relaxing, prompting Cyril to release him. Together they moved to the cliff's edge, peering down to see Magnus still hanging in the vines, unresponsive. Cyril took off over the cliff, using his wings to hover just next to Magnus, grabbing onto him and slowly hoisting him up.

"Help me, he's heavy!" Cyril called to Malefor. Malefor did the same, flying down and grabbing onto Magnus to push him back over the cliff. They pulled Magnus over, and set him down on the scorched ground.

"Magnus! Magnus can you hear me?" Malefor rolled Magnus onto his back, the dragon's body heavily bruised and beaten from how he had landed and the subsequent banging against the cliff's edge.

"He's badly hurt Malefor, we need those herbs to help him!" Cyril got up, racing to where they had found the herbs earlier. He took flight, hovering down to the crevice, only to have his eyes widen at the sight.

"They're gone!" He cried out.

"What?!" Malefor stood up, running over to him.

"Where'd they go?!" Cyril looked around frantically, only managing to catch Darius at the corner of his eye taking flight with the labaith herbs held against his chest.

"No! Darius! He's got the herbs!" Cyril cried out.

"No! Darius you bastard! Magnus needs those! Darius!" Malefor panted, Darius ignoring their cries and instead flying back to the Winter Tundra. No, Malefor couldn't let him get away! He had to stop him!

Malefor went into a dead sprint, aiming to take flight after him.

"No Malefor, we have to get Magnus, we can take him back to the Winter Tundra, get him help!"

"I have to get Darius!"

"It's too late Malefor... let it go..."

"But... I can get him! I can stop him!" Malefor turned back to Cyril who stood by Magnus, hefting his arms over him. He would need help taking him back...

"I... I..." He looked back at Darius as his dot got smaller and smaller in the distance. He turned back to Cyril who was joined by the ghostly blue dragoness who looked at Malefor, shaking her head softly and instead walking over to Magnus before vanishing.

Malefor held his head low before gritting his teeth. Darius had won... but he had to help Magnus. He started towards Cyril, helping him grab Magnus as snow was starting to fall faster, the winds whipping against them. He hefted Magnus up and together they took off towards the Winter Tundra.

/Transitioning.../

[Done]

"Malefor, what happened out there?" Aurelius stood in front of Malefor in the courtyard of the Winter Tundra, looking down upon his battered and bloody student.

"I... I..." Malefor couldn't bring himself to say he and Darius fought. He couldn't bring himself to admit he was about to kill Darius in his rage.

"Malefor, Magnus is dead. What happened out there? You and Darius were both severely injured, Darius almost about to collapse from exhaustion himself! What happened out there?!" Aurelius was losing his patience, only making Malefor clench his eyes and lower his head. Magnus was dead... Magnus died because he wasn't fast enough! He should have just chased down Darius... gotten those herbs... maybe then he would be alive!

"Malefor!" Aurelius called again, snapping Malefor out of his thoughts.

"We... I... " He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

"There... there was an accident..."

"I do not believe that Malefor, Magnus died from intense heat and broken ribs from a hard impact. Only two dragons in your group breathed fire, you and Darius. For the last time, what happened?" He took spoke very deliberately now, punctuating the 'what' and 'happened' now.

"Me... Darius and I... we fought..."

"Fought? Over what? Fighting between apprentices outside the dojos is strictly forbidden..."

"We got into an argument... it... escalated..."

"And Magnus was killed in the crossfire...?

"Y-yes..."

"Malefor... this is absolutely unacceptable... I expected better from you, better from Darius. Malefor I..."

"I'm sorry Master... I'm so sorry..." He clenched his eyes, feeling the bitter cold of the Winter Tundra wash over him.

"Malefor... this is... this is unacceptable... Magnus's family will be out for blood, and I can't protect you forever Malefor. Darius's family will want to know why he was injured the way he was too, they will want your head."

Malefor clenched his eyes shut even more, whimpering slightly. Aurelius looked at him for a second before sighing and flexing his wings softly.

"Malefor look... You're going to have to be able to avoid fights like these, avoid your anger. You cannot let it consume you like this. Whatever happened out there between you and Darius... I cannot let this happen again. This will never happen again, you understand me?"

"Yes... Master..."

"Good, now go back to your quarters. I have to... send out a parchment for Magnus's family."

Malefor nodded, quickly moving up the stairs and towards the castle where they were staying here in the Tundra. Two guards opened the door for him at the very top, letting him into the area beyond. He emerged on the other side, a brilliantly lit courtyard meeting him with various creatures moving about. In the distance he could see the villages that had sprung up at the base of the Citadel in Valliyor. This Citadel was where the Avalonian king had set up the Winter Tundra's main castle. The old castle, or what they referred to as the Winter Tundra was just the facade.

They were staying here at the Winter Tundra and this courtyard as it sat off to the side of the main village and town. It had a nice view, though none of that really mattered right now..

Malefor reached the end of the courtyard, climbing a flight of stairs that lead to their rooms, all of them both overlooking the massive courtyard and the village itself. When he got inside, he quickly realized that all the apprentices knew what had happened.

They had all gathered in the corner of the room, all huddled around Cyril. Cyril looked worried, and upon seeing Malefor frowned even more then he currently was, which was pretty hard to even imagine. All the apprentices turned, looking at Malefor and casting a wave of silence onto the room. Nobody spoke, nobody moved. They just... watched Malefor. All of them had a look of distrust, though some looked confused, frightened.

Malefor sighed inwardly to himself before turning and walking to the opposite end of the room where his bed was. He climbed onto the bed and stared out towards the window opposite of him that looked over the village. Night was quickly approaching and another snow storm with it. Snow was coming against the window, and a small layer of frost had already started to form again following this morning's warmer temperatures.

The others started talking again, albeit a low whisper. Malefor knew none of them trusted him. They, like Darius, felt like Malefor had taken something from them by becoming an apprentice at such a young age, and without doing any of the things they had done.

Cyril stepped away from the group, who were starting to disband and move to their respective beds or pairing up to continue their discussions. Cyril on the other hand walked over to Malefor who continued to stare at the window.

"Malefor..." Cyril said lowly, snapping the young dragon away from his thoughts.

"What do you want..."

"Look... I know none of us have gotten off on the right footing before but I just wanted to tell you I don't hold you responsible for what happened. It was Darius..."

Malefor huffed lowly, shaking his head.

"None of the others fully blame you too, they just..."

"Distrust me? I don't blame them."

"Look Malefor, they just feel confused is all. Darius's episode is unlike him, and that's saying something. Magnus was everyone's friend too, he was the most social among us. They all feel... terrible with what happened. They don't all think it's your fault tough."

"It was... I let my anger get the best of me... I let things escalate with Darius, don't you see?"

"No Malefor, Darius is a brute and we all know that. We all know he has his childish ambitions but things got too far. You can't blame yourself."

"I do..."

"Malefor, come on now..."

"I just want to be alone right now..."

"Alright, but don't be afraid to talk to us. They don't all hate you like you think. They're just confused..."

Malefor turned looking at the wall now. Cyril frowned before turning away, going to join one of the others around the room.

Malefor knew the score... none of them liked him, he already knew that. Magnus had been the only one he had talked to but now... Well, now things were different.

[Begin Dysnc…]

[Done]

Spyro yanked hard, pulling the metal rings securing Malefor to the stone so his legs were free.

"Spyro... what're you..." Cynder stood back, surprised with what he was doing after Malefor and Cyril had finished recounting the details.

"He's not a threat..." Spyro finished yanking the chains away, Malefor falling to the floor and slowly getting up. His body was weak... bruised... bloody. It felt like running a mile just to stand back up. Panting, he looked to Spyro in the dimly lit room before frowning and straightening himself.

"You shouldn't trust me, you have no reason to trust me Spyro. For all you know, I'm still evil."

"If you had really wanted to escape, chains wouldn't have stopped you." Malefor didn't answer to that, instead looking at the floor.

"Malefor, you were brought back for a reason. You're supposed to help me stop the darkness. I need your help Malefor."

"My help? How exactly can I help you?"

"Malefor I need to understand what happened to you. I need to know what made you the way you are, and how we can use that information to stop the darkness." Malefor shook his head, turning to Spyro.

"You mean save yourself from the darkness."

Spyro grunted, bearing his teeth a bit.

"That's not the point, I need to know what the darkness is planning, and part of that is understanding what happened to you." Spyro said, backing up a bit. He thought for a moment before talking again, walking around Malefor as he spoke.

"When I visited the Chronicler before confronting Gaul, he talked about how you trained, how you learned the different elements before starting to consume too much power. He said that the Elders banished you for it."

Malefor's head perked up at the words before sinking back down, looking at the floor.

"That I do remember... look, I'll tell you everything I've remember so far. Anything comes up, I'll tell you alright? What else do you want from me?"

"Malefor, the darkness is on the move again, we need to understand their intentions if we are to beat them back again." Terrador added, looking down onto the younger dragon, who was possibly just as old as Terrador himself.

"The darkness... I don't know what they're planning, I only helped them with their quest for the Final Solution, and you stopped that already. I can't tell you anything else..."

"Then tell us Malefor everything you can remember so far, so we may paint a better picture of what might happen." Cyril suggested, stepping forward as well. Malefor sighed before looking back up at them and recounting every event he had remember so far, his encounter with Ignitus and Terrador in Argus, the death of his mother and his revenge killing of the fox, his arrival in Arcantheus and subsequent adventures there and the Dragon Temple as well.

It took several hours to recount the stories, all of them told with unmistakable clarity as if Malefor was reading from a book. The others sat and listened, taking in each detail. After Malefor finished with linking in the story in Valliyor he finally let out a breath and sat down.

"That's it?" Spyro asked, Malefor nodding his head.

"That's it... least for now..." Malefor said lowly.

"I think that's enough for now Spyro, I think he needs some rest. Malefor, you can rest in one of the chambers below, but you cannot leave the temple." Terrador said, motioning to the rooms below the main temple where everyone slept.

"Right..." Malefor said before looking at the tunnel and walking towards it. He needed... he needed a good rest. After all that had happened, he just wanted to forget everything, but now that was impossible. He had worked so hard to get these memories, now he hated them.

Spyro watched him leave to the lower chambers before sighing and turning to Cynder who was watching him too.

"So... what do you make of all this?" Spyro asked. She sighed herself before turning to face Spyro.

"You know, I really don't know. So far all he's said is accurate with what the Guardians say... though some parts of his stories were a little..."

"Off?" Spyro finished for her.

"Yeah, like the part with the voice. Do you remember the voice or even the ghostly guardian he talks about?"

"Not the ghost but I do remember a voice. The voice that spoke to me under Gale sounds similar, I wonder if they're the same."

"They could be, but then why would that voice be delving into the fates of the purple dragons?"

"I don't know... and even if its true then how did Malefor turn evil?"

"I don't know either, you said you visited the voice, what did he say? What did Ignitus tell you?" Spyro rubbed his chin to her words, trying to remember how the voice had described Malefor's situation to him underneath Gale.

"He... he said I have something he didn't or that he lost. I wonder what he was talking about."

"Could it be... his mother? He lost his family and home after all and you still have those."

"True... but that was early on I think he would have started out already by now."

"This doesn't help us with the darkness though. How exactly did that voice tell you Malefor is supposed to help us? I still say he should be locked up for the rest of his life for what he did..."

"He said that we needed all the help we could get against the darkness. Outside of that he didn't say anything else. He just spoke about the Final Solution and how it was part of the darkness's plan but it has been taken from them. What else they're planning might lay in Malefor and he just hasn't remembered it. We could use his fighting skills too."

"If you say so..." Cynder shook her head.

"Come on, it's pretty late. We should head to sleep. I'm sure tomorrow will be as busy as today was." Spyro motioned towards the tunnel where Malefor went that went to the bed chambers. Cynder smiled, stretching a bit.

"That does... sound pretty nice. Alright let's go." Spyro nodded, walking with her towards the tunnel.

* * *

1:22 AM (Local Time) [0122 Hr MLTY]

Temple Balcony

* * *

Malefor sat silently, looking out over the balcony's edge and onto the mushroom forest and Warfang beyond. It had been... some years at least since he had last sat up here and taken this same glance. The world had changed... very little actually, save for some ruins here or there... The mushroom forest still looked the way he remembered, and Warfang still sat in the distance, albeit a little larger now. Oh and let's not forget it's almost completely destroyed, ravaged and still being rebuilt. He could see to his far left that the dam that had once held back the great ocean now sat in debris, its remains scattered all along the river valley where the Great Destroyer was ambushed by Spyro and his friends only earlier this year... He could also see even beyond that and into the desert basins the faint wreckage of the Human warship that had crashed from the heavens earlier this year as well. Above he could see the two moons as they drifted apart in orbit, the night of eternal darkness having long passed and now a distant memory.

The world had changed a lot in the past 200 years and in some ways stayed the same. He looked down at his own claws, raising one up to look at it in the moonlight. He had changed a lot in those years, and in some ways stayed the same. Here he sat as a young 16 year old dragon, just as he did in those days long ago... yet he had enough memories and experiences to fill a 300 year old dragon. It felt... strange... to say the least. He could feel young, feel his youth and emotions just as he had in those days. He felt like he did back then... but all of his experiences, all of his memories, it made him feel so out of place. He didn't feel like a 16 year old dragon, he felt like something else entirely.

At the same time, he didn't feel attached to these memories, like they were almost someone else's. But... they were his! It just felt so strange, so surreal to wake up like this with so much history, but feeling like you were starting over again. What was the point of all this? Why torment him so much? Why not just leave things to Spyro now, he seemed capable enough to carry on the torch of the purple dragon into the next era. Why bother with the old?

Behind him he heard a noise that made him turn, seeing an onyx and crimson dragoness behind him, watching him.

"Cynder... what do you want?" Malefor asked before turning back to the mushroom forest.

"You were supposed to remain in the temple." She said lowly.

"I wanted to come outside, and take in some fresh air."

"Spyro's had a lot to put up with, and now he's having to deal with you. You're lucky he won't let me punish you for all you've done to me, done to everyone."

Malefor didn't say anything, instead looking at the ground momentarily before returning his gaze to the mushroom forest.

"Cynder... I..."

"No, don't talk. You're a liar and a monster. If you cause trouble for anyone, I'll be the first to give you your punishment, you hear me?"

"Have you ever seen Arcanthe's Tail?" Malefor asked after a moment of silence, looking up at the stars now.

"What? What does that have to do with anyth-"

"You can see it, just right over... there..." He lifted his claw, pointing at a set of stars in the night sky that banded together in a tail-like form. The form was accented by a cloud of stellar gas that glowed a bright orange and purple that was just faint enough that you couldn't see it without really focusing on it.

"I don't care about... I..." Cynder looked up to his claw, seeing the formation above.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, lowering his claw now.

"It... is... I've never seen it before."

"It only comes every few years and even then, it's hard to see. They say Arcanthes came from there, came to the dragon realms to establish the realms and lead us to prosperity."

Cynder shook her head softly, looking back down.

"Never heard that story."

"Aurelius always talked about that one, he really enjoyed it. Look... Cynder... I can't ask you to forgive me. I know what I did... was unforgivable and I can never do anything to change that. I just ask that... you enjoy the life that you have now, with Spyro that is."

She visibly flinched when he said Spyro's name, making him frown a bit. He could tell there were still a lot of open wounds between him and Cynder and he didn't expect that to change anytime soon.

They sat there for a while, quiet. Both of them sat there, looking out over the realms as a few gusts of winds kicked up from the forest below, softly pressing into their scales.

"What happened to you Malefor?" Cynder finally asked, still looking at the ocean in the distance.

"What? What do you mean?"

"What happened to you for you to change. When I listened to the stories, you don't sound like the monster you were. I remember Chief Prowless of Hunter's village commenting on how you used to be. What happened to you?"

Malefor took in a deep breath, shaking his head a bit.

"If I could tell you I would. I honestly can't remember what happened. While most of my... memory... is back I can't remember everything just yet. I just remember... a great anger... something that consumed me, drove me. What sparked that anger, I can't say."

"Spyro still wants to know about-"

"Spyro wants to know, or do you want to know?"

"What?" She turned quickly, a look of annoyance and confusion on her face.

"You, Spyro, you're both worried. You, you're worried about Spyro, I can feel it. I don't blame him... everything about us as purple dragons... it's just so shrouded in mystery. I'm sure Spyro's already known about what Rithul and Diablo told him, about how we were supposed to be Guardians of the Final Solution. Something tells me there's more to it than that."

"What makes you say that?"

"After my banishment from the realms I resided in a place far to the east near my old citadel. There I found the remains of an ancient library that seemed to have been forgotten by time. Inside there were several records, all dating to before the current Dragon Kingdom, back before anyone could remember. The scrolls and books inside spoke of purple dragons like me, and their supposed roles. It talked about how all of them took part in this Great Cleansing and it was our destiny to do that. I found stories on each dragon and how they went on their own journeys. Some of the dragons... it was strange... some of them did it willingly, but not out of malice or evil. There was little mention to the fact that the Final Solution even existed, though I think those purple dragons knew. They had known because there was a force that told them about it, unlike me or Spyro."

"Why aren't there any other records of them then? Where was this library that it survived?"

"That was an even stranger part. The library itself wasn't really a library but almost like a... hiding place that had been broken open by the elements. There was a library on top of the ruins that housed the records but the facade itself was something I didn't recognize."

"Do you think it was something the council built to protect records?"

"Possibly, though I found something else puzzling while reading these records."

"Like what?"

"All of the dragons who initiated this journey were always confronted by certain forces, and some of them were being pulled by a mysterious force to commit grave acts, and even stray from their intended journeys. I was convinced at the time that this journey was something I needed to do, though the purposes of it I misinterpreted entirely..."

"What eventually stopped you?"

"When Aurelius and his dragons couldn't stop me, a loose band of dragons hunted me down. Their leader, Troy, was the one who really defeated me with the help of Ignitus."

"Troy, I've heard that name before. There were even statues on the beach south of Warfang me and Spyro found of him."

"After Troy's victory, the entire realms celebrated. They built a city to the south of Warfang as a celebration to him. When Gual and his apes began their second conquest of the realms, I ordered them to demolish the city as one of their first acts. Those were the ruins you saw..."

"Oh..."

"As for Troy himself, I don't really know who he was. Some say he was sent here specifically to defeat me. He was also a light dragon, which is interesting since Aurelius was the last light dragon and never had a child from what I could tell."

"Then... where would he have come from?"

"That's just it, I don't really know. Light dragons are just like Shadow dragons in that they can't be 'born' normally, they have to have some gene from their parents. Aurelius was the last light dragon that anyone knew of, Troy's arrival was... surprising to say the least. Though now I don't think there are any light dragons left in the realms."

"Plenty of Shadow dragons though..." Cynder commented, looking away. It was true, Shadow dragons were also on the decline, but not as bad as light dragons. They had always been viewed as "pure" dragons because of the unique nature of their birth. Usually when two dragons had children, they could be of a wide variety of elements, though a lot of times it was region specific. You might have more exotic elements from a Magic Crafter dragon as opposed to a dragon from the Dragon Kingdom or Artisan's home world which usually had more vanilla elements like fire, ice or electricity. Peace Keepers had more war-like and combat oriented elements, which was similar to the vanilla elements already but you got more intense variations like volcanic dragons, earth builders, blizzard dragons... Though with light and shadow, you needed a parent to have the genes to give birth to one specifically.

"Spyro... he breathed light during the finale battle didn't he?" Cynder looked up, Malefor looking up as well as she spoke.

"True, he did. I never learned light, it was a lost art even when I grew up and could never learn it from Aurelius. I only... learned shadow, darkness and even convexity..."

"When... did you learn those?"

"Shadow was a natural art taught to me by one of the Guardians there, though darkness and convexity... I can't remember when I learned those or who taught them to me. I know they were specifically forbidden."

"I thought you had to have been exposed to convexity to be able to harness that element, like me and Spyro had been. Were you... exposed to convexity in your youth?"

"If I did, I can't remember. I just remember having the element. However I was exposed, that's a mystery to me. There're still gaps in my memory like I said..."

Cynder sighed softly, looking out to the moons again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, ask anything."

"When... when I was an egg at the temple, during the raid... What... what happened to the families that gave the eggs?"

"You want to know what happened to your parents?"

"Yes..."

"Cynder I wish I could tell you but no... I don't remember what happened to your parents. At that time I was still trapped in Convexity, you'd have to ask Gual about that... or even the Guardians."

"I see... I always wonder why I was chosen out of that group of hundreds of eggs... why me and Spyro were the only ones to survive that night... It makes me think how great our race would be now if all of them had survived..."

"Well you did survive, and you're here with Spyro now as a result." Malefor turned to her, a light smile on his face. She smiled at the thought but frowned again.

"Yeah... " She looked at the floor, looking at her own claws. Malefor had forgotten about that raid, so many years ago. Ignitus's plan was a sound one, but... even Ignitus couldn't defend against the army of apes Gual had amassed for the attack. Hundreds of eggs, almost thousands were destroyed that night. The population of dragons still left was probably chopped down by a significant margin as a result. There weren't many of them left anymore... There were a lot here because of Warfang but... up north? There was a reason Warfang was one of the last holdouts during the war, and now it probably had the highest concentration of survivors in the entire realms. It was a pretty sad story...

"So... you wouldn't know why Gual picked me to survive that night, and not someone else?"

"No... though Gual did tell me after he recovered your egg he sensed great potential in you. Whether that was true or not I couldn't tell you but... I think he was right."

Cynder tilted her head at the comment before smiling a bit, looking out at the stars.

"You're really lucky Cynder, to have Spyro as a mate and to have lived by him in these tough times."

"Thanks... I... I want to say sorry..."

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for... for trying to kill you..."

"No... you don't need to be sorry for that. I've committed great sins... it's only natural I receive some punishment for them..." Malefor brought up his claws, looking them over.

"Still... look at me... I'm not entirely immaculate either... Even when I was free of your control I still sought out the darkness... it was so tempting and I was too weak to resist. It's why all of this happened, why Spyro was exposed to convexity in the first place and put through the hardships he was..."

"Can you honestly say the world would be in a better or worse position because of it? I think now, for the first time the realms is truly free of my... my shadow. They can finally start to rebuild after all those years."

"Still... so many people were lost along the way, and something tells me we're nowhere close to being finished yet." Cynder stood up fully now, adjusting herself as if to be ready for something.

"You're right, Spyro said I was brought back for something..."

"He said you were brought back to help fight the darkness. They're about to make a move, and we need to be ready. We need your help."

Malefor sat silent, looking at the floor again.

"I still don't know why you need my help, I think Spyro's powerful enough to handle it..."

"Malefor, you know convexity better than any one of us, you would be able to know how they think, how they react, what they might be planning. You have to help us."

"Nothing will ever atone for what I did... but I guess I better do some good while I'm still breathing."

"Thanks..." Cynder smiled, nodding towards Malefor. Malefor smiled a bit himself, looking at her before turning back to the scene before them. Cynder turned, as if to walk away but stopped, turning back to Malefor.

"Thanks for the talk... and for uh..."

"For what?"

"For reminding me even a monster can be likable." She smirked at him before turning and walking back at the temple. Malefor looked at where she had stood for a while, silently thinking to himself. Was that directed at him, or a statement about herself? Well... it could be applicable in both situations.

Either way, Malefor turned, sitting back on his haunches, unaware a soft smile had crept up on his lips.

End of Chapter 08

End of Part 1

Open Chat Link secure channel Sierra_10

[Link Established]

Any luck on decoding the reports?

D: Yes, I've had some luck decoding the classified reports for the operation in 2189. I'm still locked out of many parts but I can give you a run down on some mission parameters and classified mission intel I've decoded. So far I've decoded that the mission was a snatch and grab operation. Apparently in 2189 there was this figure referred to as [SIERRA_MAJOR]. This figure saw another one, named [SIERRA_MINOR] as a threat. He apparently dispatched a group to take out [SIERRA_MINOR] before he became a full threat, and this mission was meant to slip in during this assault, and retrieve [SIERRA_MINOR]. In failing to do so, they would retrieve "secondary targets" as directed by an on station UNCI officer. It appears the initial parameters of securing [SIERRA_MINOR] were unsuccessful, but they did retrieve numerous "secondary targets." These targets were transported to sites on Desmal and Earth for future testing and research.

So this was a snatch and grab operation, conducted on this world way before this latest incident.

D: It would appear that way. I'll continue decoding the report, though it is heavily encrypted. They sure don't want anybody snooping around this file. I haven't even cracked at the papers regarding their research.

Regardless, this goes against a First Contact Scenario, outlined in the Derringer Doctrine.

D: The Derringer Doctrine? I'm not familiar with those.

It's not widely known. Following the Pearl Cove incident in the 2150s, the UNOI and CI outlined several doctrines regarding a first contact scenario with alien beings in both civil and military manners. The UER General Assembly has to approve any actions like this, like an act of war. I hardly think they've secured one for these operations, especially in 2189. This whole operation reeks of illegal.

D: Would we even be able to bring this up to the heads at OI, would they even be willing to bring an indictment?

They sent us here to investigate supposed illegal operations, I think we just uncovered a big one.

D: Still, we need more evidence to present to the boss if we want to go forward with this. I really do think this research project the UNCI is doing is even worse than this apparent break in strict military code that I haven't even heard about before. It'll be a tough sell.

Most of the brass knows about it, they were agents during Pearl Cove. I think they, along with everyone else, remembers what happened and the importance of these doctrines. I doubt most of us would know about it, there hasn't been a "first contact scenario" since the incursions with the Lakador Empire and this past incident with the crew of the Achilles and Typhus.

D: Before you take your reports to the boss, I do want to try to crack at these reports more. I do want to make sure we have evidence to present.

Alright, keep at it. I'll try something here at my end, see if I can't dig more up myself. Keep an eye out, I doubt the UNCI is oblivious to somebody snooping around. You could be in for some deep trouble if they catch you.

D: Don't worry, I'm a professional at this.

Right, closing connection.

D: Roger that, closing connection.

Link Terminated

[Connection Closed]

A/N: Hey guys, NewLegend1 here. Hoping you guys are enjoying the story ^w^ Unfortunately, this'll be the last chapter for a little while, I've run out of chapters in my backlog to post. I've been stalled on 9 for a while and instead of just sitting around doing nothing I've been writing another Spyro fanfiction which I'm hoping to post soon. I've come up with a LOT of ideas for The Malefor Chronicles, I just have to get through the part I'm on right now, so I can get to those parts. I hope you guys enjoy what I've got planned and hopefully it won't take me long to write chapter 9 w

Until next time, NewLegend1 out.


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